Oh, I love reading smart curmuegeonly writing! So whenever I come across great curmuegeonry, I will share it!
Here's a great post about one person's dislike for Facebook: I Hate Facebook
Some great quotes:
"Oh, Facebook. You cyberland of rampant narcissism and wasted time. What started out as a social networking site for college kids has somehow turned into a cesspool of self-absorbed way-too-old-to-be-fucking-around-on-Facebook adults who think that the rest of us actually give a shit about what they're drinking, eating, thinking, reading, watching, and/or are listening to every five minutes."
"...overcrowded with attention-starved grown-ups essentially screaming "look at me... look at me!" all day long. They change their profile photos as often as I change my underwear, and they've somehow convinced themselves that their lives are infinitely interesting all the time. The "audience factor" is just way too attractive to these folks. It's drunken karaoke without the booze and the bad singing, but with all the requisite self-indulgence."
"I'd love to stage a coup and turn Facebook the vainglorious social-networking site into Facebook the bastion of selflessness and redeeming social value"
9/03/2009
Facebook overload
I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I love it when I find and get found by old friends that I've lost touch with. I hate it when random networky people who I've hardly (or sometimes never) spoken to "friend" me. I like logging in to see what my friends are up to - especially those with kids and babies to see what the little ones are doing. But when I am logged in, I am annoyed by the people who update too much. There is a handful of people who are always facebooking and their updates push down and drown out other people's posts. And of course these too-frequent posters are also the people I care the least about. Not only that, they often have the most boring posts!
And then there are some people who just seem to FB unnecessarily. I am friends with a married couple who write on each other's walls ALL THE TIME with personal messages about how much they love and/or miss each other. Mind you, these two live together and see each other everyday. It's like he leaves the house and she has to write on his FB wall. It's a little too TMI for me. Can't they just text each other like other normal modern couples? Do they really have to post these messages to show up on all their friends' updates?
Some of my friends complain I'm not on FB enough. But I'm trying not to become one of those FB addicts who share too much. Where is the balance? Is lurking on FB a crime?
And then there are some people who just seem to FB unnecessarily. I am friends with a married couple who write on each other's walls ALL THE TIME with personal messages about how much they love and/or miss each other. Mind you, these two live together and see each other everyday. It's like he leaves the house and she has to write on his FB wall. It's a little too TMI for me. Can't they just text each other like other normal modern couples? Do they really have to post these messages to show up on all their friends' updates?
Some of my friends complain I'm not on FB enough. But I'm trying not to become one of those FB addicts who share too much. Where is the balance? Is lurking on FB a crime?
8/28/2009
8/25/2009
Great Use of Twitter no.1: Shit My Dad Says
Twitter can be completely inane if you're following the wrong people. Or too overwhelming if you follow people who are too tweet-happy. The latter is the case for me. Sometimes, the tweets are much too TMI - sorry friends, but I don't care to hear about your bodily functions, or that of your baby's, no matter how cute or adorable is the said baby.
So when I find an awesome Twitter account that is filled with great tweets, I have to thank God for the creativity of these people. In this case, I want to honor "shitmydadsays" - one of the most entertaining, interesting, and personality-filled Twitterers out there. Actually, the credit is not even due to Justin, the Twitterer, but to his 73 year-old dad, who apparently utters strings of the funniest, craziest, and most memorable words. Here are some samples from the tweets:
"Don't touch the bacon, it's not done yet. You let me handle the bacon, and i'll let you handle..what ever it is you do. I guess nothing."
"I didn't live to be 73 years old so I could eat kale. Don't fix me your breakfast and pretend you're fixing mine."
"Tennessee is nice. The first time I vomited was in tennessee, I think."
"Love this Mrs. Dash. The bitch can make spices... Jesus, Joni (my mom) it's a joke. I was making a joke! Mrs. Dash isn't even real dammit!"
Yo, Justin's dad, keep up the good work! I want to hear more from you! Heck I want to meet you and make a documentary of you! You'll probably tell me to fuck off, or ask Justin to tell me to fuck off, but I think you're awesome for your creative and expressive use of the English language.
So when I find an awesome Twitter account that is filled with great tweets, I have to thank God for the creativity of these people. In this case, I want to honor "shitmydadsays" - one of the most entertaining, interesting, and personality-filled Twitterers out there. Actually, the credit is not even due to Justin, the Twitterer, but to his 73 year-old dad, who apparently utters strings of the funniest, craziest, and most memorable words. Here are some samples from the tweets:
"Don't touch the bacon, it's not done yet. You let me handle the bacon, and i'll let you handle..what ever it is you do. I guess nothing."
"I didn't live to be 73 years old so I could eat kale. Don't fix me your breakfast and pretend you're fixing mine."
"Tennessee is nice. The first time I vomited was in tennessee, I think."
"Love this Mrs. Dash. The bitch can make spices... Jesus, Joni (my mom) it's a joke. I was making a joke! Mrs. Dash isn't even real dammit!"
Yo, Justin's dad, keep up the good work! I want to hear more from you! Heck I want to meet you and make a documentary of you! You'll probably tell me to fuck off, or ask Justin to tell me to fuck off, but I think you're awesome for your creative and expressive use of the English language.
Technology that Makes Me Happy, and Hungry
Even more amazing is the fact that this patent was filed in 1932. 19-freaking-32~! That means in the midst of the Great Depression, some genius came up with a great idea and developed the tool to make it happen, and even filed the patent for it. This person should have become a bazillionaire for the brilliant idea, and then making it come true. Unfortunately I'm going to have to guess that did not happen, since this ice cream-injected banana is not a ubiquitous snack today.
Oh but now that this patent and awesomely deliciously simple idea has been dug out of the patent archives, can someone please please make it into a reality? Either create and sell the injectors or the end products themselves. I'm lazy so I would much prefer to just buy the bananas at the store, but then with such a handy injector tool I can in fact create many other variations of the the stuffed banana. The Gizmodo article mentions pb&j filled banana, which is a great idea. I think chocolate-filled would be fantastic as well, but even better would be a PB & chocolate filled banana. Yum. And how about these ideas:
- moosetrack ice cream filled banana
- fudge filled banana
- strawberry jam/strawberry ice cream filled banana
- strawberry syrup/vanilla ice cream filled banana
- chocolate syrup and coconut ice cream filled banana
- ice cream sundae style: banana filled with nuts, fudge, and vanilla ice cream
- eclair style: custard & chocolate filled banana
- praline-filled banana
- how about a cheestnut creme filled banana with Nutella
It's literally like making an ice cream sundae - the possibilities are endless!
Oh someone make this banana injector now! I will be first in line to purchase the product - then I'll run out and buy a little cart and start making my own special creations and sell them on hot summer days @ the beach and street fairs! Second career, here I come! Heck in honor of Arrested Development, I would even create a banana-shaped stand (pending the success of the portable cart) to sell my awesome ice cream bananas!
(via Gizmodo & Novah 11)
Amazing Helicopter Rescue
This is such amazing footage. For a helicopter to fly so close to the edge of a rock wall and land on such a small footprint takes extreme precision and skill, not to mention bravery. Kudos to the pilot.
8/24/2009
enormous dead tree
It's hard to tell from the photo, but this was a gigantic dead pine tree that had split from the root and fallen over. It was an incredible sight. It is supported only by about 1/4 of the original tree, which is still attached to the root. Most of the tree has fallen over (the horizontal part), and much of the trunk was hollow.
The image of my friend Mike is there to help provide some perspective. Some of the boys tried to jump up and grab the horizontal tangling part of the tree to see if it would topple...it was scary. Lots of creaking noises. Good thing no one seriously tried to hold on, because it would have been very bad if the trunk broke from the support and started rolling down the rock piles. Although one day it'll probably happen on its own anyway.
The image of my friend Mike is there to help provide some perspective. Some of the boys tried to jump up and grab the horizontal tangling part of the tree to see if it would topple...it was scary. Lots of creaking noises. Good thing no one seriously tried to hold on, because it would have been very bad if the trunk broke from the support and started rolling down the rock piles. Although one day it'll probably happen on its own anyway.
Fast Food Turns Gourmet
I've been to this site and found the idea fascinating - using fast food and making them into plates of fancy restuarnt looking meals. The videos are even better: they show how it's actually done, proving the pics are true!
The Feedbag makes Chicken McConfit with FancyFastFood.com from The Feedbag on Vimeo.
8/03/2009
7/30/2009
3/09/2009
Paul Blart: Mall Cop vs. Slumdog Millionaire
These two movies are currently in wide release at your local cinema, and have been for about 8 weeks. Slumdog Millionaire
has been out for a much longer period of time, and due to its Oscar nomination and win has enjoyed a much longer ride in theaters.
Now these two movies couldn’t be any more different - Paul Blart: Mall Cop
is a goofy dopey slapstick comedy about a mall cop that stars Kevin James. The other is an inspirational, touching, and engaging story about an Indian boy who beats all odds and becomes a millionaire on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. So why am I talking about the two of them at the same time?
Shockingly, in this weekend’s box office report, I see that Paul Blart: Mall Cop has grossed more in its 8 weeks of release than Slumdog’s 17 weeks of theater release. Mall Cop’s cumulative gross in 8 weeks: $133.6 mil vs. Slumdog’s 17-week cumulative gross: $125.4 mil. That means Mall Cop would more than double Slumdog’s gross if the two movies are in the theaters for the same time. More people are willing to pay money to watch goofy Paul Blart than Jamal of Slumdog.
These two films aren’t even comparable in terms of their quality - script, meaning, educational value, cultural relevance, director, editing, cinematography, acting, you name it, Slumdog is all around a better film. Yet Mall Cop outperforms. Mall Cop has a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes while Slumdog enjoys an extremely high rating of 94%. What does this tell us about America’s taste in films? Or perhaps this is an indication of our times.
Now I understand that Mall Cop is probably a more palatable film to the mass audience - it’s PG so it’s family friendly, and designed to appeal to movie watchers of all ages. Slumdog Millionaire is rated R, which prevents families from taking their kids to go and watch it. But is that enough to invite twice the ticket sales? I’m skeptical.
My first reaction upon reading the box office results was shock and awe, and frankly, disgust in our nation’s taste in movies. Every time the Mall Cop commercial came up on TV everyone’s reaction has been, oh what a dumb movie. It looked so dumb that I was sure it was going to tank in the theaters. (Now don’t get me wrong, I love Kevin James. He’s very lovable and was great in Hitch, but this movie just seems lame.) Slumdog, on the other hand, has been building in anticipation due to strong word-of-mouth and critical review. Everyone I talk to wants to see it or has already seen it. Yet the dumb movie is what triumphs in the business.
Thinking a little more about this phenomenon, I can’t help but reflect on why this may be the case. I’m pretty sure that in general comedies fare better than dramas, especially dramas about foreign cultures. But the numbers were pretty shocking to me. Perhaps it’s because of our grim financial state that Mall Cop is triumphing in box office sales. People need something light-hearted and silly to relieve them of the stress and doom in real life. Much like the success of movies, in particular comedies, during the Depression. For that, I applaud Kevin James and crew for making Mall Cop. It might just be what we need in light of current events.
has been out for a much longer period of time, and due to its Oscar nomination and win has enjoyed a much longer ride in theaters.Now these two movies couldn’t be any more different - Paul Blart: Mall Cop
is a goofy dopey slapstick comedy about a mall cop that stars Kevin James. The other is an inspirational, touching, and engaging story about an Indian boy who beats all odds and becomes a millionaire on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. So why am I talking about the two of them at the same time?Shockingly, in this weekend’s box office report, I see that Paul Blart: Mall Cop has grossed more in its 8 weeks of release than Slumdog’s 17 weeks of theater release. Mall Cop’s cumulative gross in 8 weeks: $133.6 mil vs. Slumdog’s 17-week cumulative gross: $125.4 mil. That means Mall Cop would more than double Slumdog’s gross if the two movies are in the theaters for the same time. More people are willing to pay money to watch goofy Paul Blart than Jamal of Slumdog.
These two films aren’t even comparable in terms of their quality - script, meaning, educational value, cultural relevance, director, editing, cinematography, acting, you name it, Slumdog is all around a better film. Yet Mall Cop outperforms. Mall Cop has a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes while Slumdog enjoys an extremely high rating of 94%. What does this tell us about America’s taste in films? Or perhaps this is an indication of our times.
Now I understand that Mall Cop is probably a more palatable film to the mass audience - it’s PG so it’s family friendly, and designed to appeal to movie watchers of all ages. Slumdog Millionaire is rated R, which prevents families from taking their kids to go and watch it. But is that enough to invite twice the ticket sales? I’m skeptical.
My first reaction upon reading the box office results was shock and awe, and frankly, disgust in our nation’s taste in movies. Every time the Mall Cop commercial came up on TV everyone’s reaction has been, oh what a dumb movie. It looked so dumb that I was sure it was going to tank in the theaters. (Now don’t get me wrong, I love Kevin James. He’s very lovable and was great in Hitch, but this movie just seems lame.) Slumdog, on the other hand, has been building in anticipation due to strong word-of-mouth and critical review. Everyone I talk to wants to see it or has already seen it. Yet the dumb movie is what triumphs in the business.
Thinking a little more about this phenomenon, I can’t help but reflect on why this may be the case. I’m pretty sure that in general comedies fare better than dramas, especially dramas about foreign cultures. But the numbers were pretty shocking to me. Perhaps it’s because of our grim financial state that Mall Cop is triumphing in box office sales. People need something light-hearted and silly to relieve them of the stress and doom in real life. Much like the success of movies, in particular comedies, during the Depression. For that, I applaud Kevin James and crew for making Mall Cop. It might just be what we need in light of current events.
10/17/2007
"Human Flesh Tastes Like Pork"
I read this gruesome interview of Armin Meiwes, which made my skin crawl. What’s the next thing I do? I pass the link to one of my friends to get her reaction. Her response? “Eww.” followed by “But I am strangely fascinated by it.”
It’s true. We human beings are fascinated by the absurd and the strange.
But how can you not be? How does a normal human being become so fascinated and obsessed about eating human flesh, dwells on the notion for 30 years, and then actually perform the act? He had to know what the consequences were. I wonder if he thinks the sentence he’s serving is worth it - just so he could make his yearning come true.
How is this normal? And what about the man he ate, Bernd Brandes, whose obsession was to be eaten?! I think he was even more twisted, and probably even more psychologically damaged or deranged than Miewes.
I’d like some psychologistst to weigh in on this.
In the meanwhile, read some comments from readers.
Here’s an interesting documentary with some attempt to analyze the two men: The Man Who Ate His Lover
It’s true. We human beings are fascinated by the absurd and the strange.
But how can you not be? How does a normal human being become so fascinated and obsessed about eating human flesh, dwells on the notion for 30 years, and then actually perform the act? He had to know what the consequences were. I wonder if he thinks the sentence he’s serving is worth it - just so he could make his yearning come true.
How is this normal? And what about the man he ate, Bernd Brandes, whose obsession was to be eaten?! I think he was even more twisted, and probably even more psychologically damaged or deranged than Miewes.
I’d like some psychologistst to weigh in on this.
In the meanwhile, read some comments from readers.
Here’s an interesting documentary with some attempt to analyze the two men: The Man Who Ate His Lover
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