Paul Fallavollita

Who Benefits From You Feeling That Way?

2012-01-23T10:34:00.001-05:00

Americans laughed at, or pitied condition of, the North Koreans who cried on cue for the cameras at the death of Kim Jong Il. However, the media manipulates the emotions of the public on a regular basis on a host of issues--including the decision to go to war. Americans aren't much different--they just have different gods.

Monday of the First Five Day Week I've Had This Year

2012-01-23T08:05:00.001-05:00

I loved the Garbage Pail Kids when I was little...these cards grossed my mom out, which was more than half the fun.

CWP holder stops armed robber.

New Year's Eve Eve!

2011-12-30T08:05:00.000-05:00

Hungarians defend their sovereignty from the EU and Hillary Clinton.

From the several corners of reality...

2011-12-28T08:13:00.001-05:00

Multivitamin pills ineffective?

Resume buzzwords to avoid.

Legislating handwriting.

How to survive a revolution.

Economy remains vulnerable.

Shift Work Might Lead to Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity.

Controversial Blue Peacocks.

America's Dirtiest Cities: New Orleans #1, Philly #2, LA #3.

Traditional MBA skill set isn't enough.

Post-Christmas Clean-Up

2011-12-27T15:40:00.003-05:00

If you didn't like the gifts you received, here's what to do to return them.

The Last Pseudo-Monday of 2011

2011-12-27T08:16:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased that we've made it to the last pseudo-Monday of 2011 (that being my first day back to work on a Tuesday).

The Benefits of Video Games.

A fruitcake from 1941 still makes the rounds.

Christmas Eve Eve Roundup

2011-12-23T09:34:00.001-05:00

Lowest Gas Prices In SC: "The average for Greenville and Spartanburg is $3.00 per gallon."

Earthquake Near Charleston: Magnitude 2.6.

Judge Blocks Portions of SC Immigration Reform Bill

Running out of Saturdays in 2011...

2011-12-17T10:43:00.001-05:00

Now magnets are a threat to "the children" - ubiquitous warnings.

Learned a new word here: plasmonics.

Frogs tinier than a penny discovered.

Seems the richest Americans donate the most to left-wing causes!

Reading fiction makes you a better investor.

Lucky to be able to say I'm proud of my Congressman

2011-09-15T17:52:00.000-04:00

I'm proud that the Congressman for my district, Trey Gowdy, has filed legislation to dissolve the NLRB.

What I'm Reading - 7/12/2011

2011-07-12T20:42:00.001-04:00

Tea party proves to be no flash in the pan

Justin Bieber is against texting and driving? Then I'm doing it more.

Overzealous safety crusaders or something more?

2011-02-28T19:14:00.000-05:00

Why the war on green lasers?

Tidbits for Pseudo-Monday

2011-02-22T20:09:00.001-05:00

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Batman. 'Ghostbusters 3' Script Is Ready. Got nitrogen in your tires? They call it the Arab 1848. Magnetic North is shifting.

Virtual Oval Office

2011-02-21T18:24:00.001-05:00

Sit at JFK's desk.

Yogurt and Frogs are a Good Mix

2011-02-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

Publix's Cherry Pomegranate yogurt is very good.

Where did all our frogs go?

Alligator Alley FTW

2011-02-16T20:22:00.003-05:00

Tried a 16 oz. Alligator Alley at Liquid Highway today. It's an orange juice based drink, blended ice...it's really good. Now we just need somewhere in the Upstate that serves an Orange Julius.

Fun links for today....Where's the tomato? How Egypt turned off the Internet. Check out the NOAA map of the snowstorm that covered the Northern World. To be safer on the road, speed. Here's a book vending machine.

Slot filled for new things learned every day...

2011-02-15T19:37:00.002-05:00

Fast facts and fun knowledge: "The charge 'corrupt on earth' has been levelled at political dissidents in the past and carries the death penalty in Iran." "No monarch lives long enough to make a round trip from the U.S. and Canada to Mexico." "Any area seaward of the mean high waterline in navigable waters is in the jurisdiction of the Army Corps." "Global data storage calculated at 295 exabytes."

Highlights: October 23

2010-10-23T14:53:00.003-04:00

Iron Man 3 is releasing May 3, 2013. A student hides the lyrics to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" in a paper. Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District harassed by the feds. I remember feeding sheep and such (through the fence along the road) that they kept on the premises when I was little. Teenagers banned from trick-or-treating.

Watermelon Sherbet, Where Art Thou?

2010-06-08T08:08:00.001-04:00

I wish watermelon sherbet were more available in my area. None of the local supermarkets seem to have it. I remember when I lived in Massachusetts that it was available at Friendly's Restaurant, but now the nearest Friendly's is 191 miles away from me.

Another of my favorites--pistachio ice cream--also seems hard to come by in my area. I can find it, but it's not as plentiful as say, butter pecan.

Who Knew?

2010-03-04T18:44:00.001-05:00

Eating snake eggs can kill you.

Blast from the Past

2010-01-07T19:41:00.001-05:00

The diary of Nathan Bryceson is online.

Monday Madness

2010-01-04T17:58:00.001-05:00

Made it through Monday. It's way colder out than I'd like, though.

Bees build a hive in a jar. 52 cows zapped by lightning. Aftermath of hitting a bird at 120 mph.

Vatican Secret Archives Revealed

2010-01-01T13:57:00.001-05:00

More items revealed from the Vatican secret archives. Check out the Mischief Maker's Manual.

It's New Year's Eve Eve Eve

2009-12-29T12:44:00.002-05:00

Assemble an emergency car kit. Solutions to weak cellular coverage. Another of my blogs commenting on Sherlock Holmes.

Today's Roundup

2009-12-21T18:28:00.002-05:00

The Air Force has a stealth drone called the RQ-170. Fly higher than any other aircraft in a MiG-31 for $22,000. Mom called the cops on her son for playing too much GTA. Pepsi decided to re-release its Throwback product. The French are eating less horsemeat.

Eggo Shortage?

2009-12-21T09:07:00.001-05:00

I'm wondering why Wal-Mart in Travelers Rest, SC has signs up in the frozen food section stating there is a "national product shortage" of Eggo products.

Always Use a Fresh Mango

2009-12-14T12:48:00.002-05:00

Nothing beats a mango-banana smoothie that's made with an actual mango. I've used frozen mango before, from the frozen food section, but it just doesn't taste the same.

Irish spice burgers

2009-07-03T18:43:00.001-04:00

Never had an Irish spice burger before, but it sounds good.

Mass Return to New Orleans

2009-07-01T17:27:00.005-04:00

New Orleans is apparently the fastest growing city. I moved out prior to Hurricane Katrina, but that event does give me pause when I mull the idea of returning to live there. Apparently the flood of new residents into the city indicates that a lot of people have shorter memories.

Dr. Pepper and EA team up next year

2009-06-25T18:15:00.002-04:00

Get ready for lots of gaming goodies when Dr. Pepper and EA team up next year.

Hitman 2 Coming

2009-06-24T19:12:00.001-04:00

Looks like they're going to come out with a sequel to the first Hitman movie.

Wolverine X-Men Origins

2009-05-05T10:12:00.001-04:00

I'd have expected Wolverine to fight for the Confederate rather than the Union Army. And the concept of a gun that shoots adamantine bullets is cool!

Pepsi Throwback Sold at Publix!

2009-05-02T14:40:00.000-04:00

Publix sells Pepsi Throwback -- I picked up a 12 pack there today for $5.39. It was the last one on the shelf. I'm hoping it sells so well that Pepsi decides to just permanently use cane sugar again going forward.

Greenville Reflections

2009-04-22T22:52:00.000-04:00

Three New Star Trek Clips

2009-04-10T16:17:00.001-04:00

Check out these three new Star Trek clips.

Kosher Coke

2009-04-10T15:52:00.000-04:00

I need to find some of this non-HFCS Coke.

Enter the e-mail address of the recipient LAST!

2009-04-05T00:40:00.002-04:00

I certainly agree with the Lifehacker notion of entering the e-mail address of the recipient as your final step when composing an e-mail. This prevents you from accidentally sending the e-mail to the person too soon, while it's in an embarrassingly "larval state." I've been doing this a while now, but I wish I'd always done it....

Miscellany Abounds

2009-03-23T10:33:00.001-04:00

Green bananas are my preference, but they can be really difficult to peel. What to do, what to do?

Crazy Liquors, Freezing Waters, James Bond's Camera & More

2008-11-21T06:59:00.002-05:00

Dr. Pepper hands out free soda...In Iceland, they swim in freezing water...Hilarious look at the real food chain (hint: it involves brains)...Thai reptile and spider-infused liquors...Master Chief's armor on the way...Failed jelly belly flavors...Why you should eat an avocado...James Bond loses his camera and it ends up on eBay...A bee covered in pumpkin pollen...Abandoned factories, mills, and mines...Indian man dies in pie-eating contest...Japan has unusual Pepsi flavors.

Reaction to "The New Xbox Experience"

2008-11-20T06:36:00.002-05:00

Last night my console updated to the "New Xbox Experience." Major kudos to Microsoft for the streaming Netflix option...I was already a Netflix unlimited member and a gold Live member, so everything was already in place to take advantage of the option..."you got chocolate on my peanut butter...you got peanut butter on my chocolate." However, I'm not a fan of the new "avatars." They're too kiddish and they remind me why I'll always prefer the Xbox to the Wii. This is an example of what I don't like about the style of competition predominant in the marketplace...companies tend to put out products where the options eventually converge...if one system offers avatars, then they all have to introduce avatars. The irony is that this sort of competition actually diminishes the quality of the choices consumers have, since everything becomes a carbon-copy of everything else. Microsoft, you didn't have to prove anything to anyone--being sophisticated and different from the rest of the crowd is a selling point, too. I'd have been happy as a clam if they'd kept the dashboard the same as it always was and just added the Netflix functionality, which is the true value and the NBE's only saving grace.

New Underworld Poster, Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince of Persia

2008-11-20T05:20:00.003-05:00

This guy is my hero: he really loved his cat and wanted his cat back, and was willing to use a baseball bat on anyone who got in his way...fish attack duck...new Underworld poster...Prince of Persia flick starring Jake Gyllenhaal...I want a Gangster Burger....

Killing Batman, Eyeball Webcams, New Mustang, et al.

2008-11-19T06:36:00.003-05:00

Law professor fights the RIAA's goons over music downloading and copyright...Meet the guy who will kill Batman...Artist will replace her eyeball with a webcam...I didn't even realize toothpaste has an expiration date...Learn of seppuku...And here's some bonsai...The Indiana Jones of botany...Here's the 2010 Ford Mustang GT...water balloons in zero gravity...So much for the "rule of thumb": this guy thought sandwiches are for smackdowns...interesting to see a young food critic, since usually younger folk are more picky...Here's the perfect burger...This website lets you talk to plants.

Mad Hatter, Harry Potter, Soul Stones, & Death by Chili

2008-11-18T06:55:00.002-05:00

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter...death while preparing for a chili-eating contest...so they believed souls live in stones? Duh!...anyone who's played a warlock on WoW knows that...pumpkins aren't just for carving or eating, they're for transportation...top 10 creatures of Harry Potter...people who were bored in the 19th century would give themselves x-rays...

Mirror's Edge, T-4 trailer, and assorted miscellany

2008-11-17T17:53:00.003-05:00

A step closer to cloning the woolly mammoth...Pencils made from cremated humans...theme park where dinosaurs fought in the Civil War...*not* a Halloween do-it-yourself project I'd recommend...I pass the test with flying colors--I love me some laser pointer (especially green)...real pirates go arrr for oil tankers...cool lava flow pics...here's the T-4 trailer, Christian Bale and all...play too much World of Warcraft and collapse--I hope he leveled up his first aid skillz...here's another trailer I've been waiting for--love the scene with the motorcycle cop...sleep is the best medicine...Wired review of the game Mirror's Edge...mystery meat surfaces in Massachusetts...indestructible honeycomb tires...here's a watch for the modern age...lawnmowers--don't ride them on the highway, it attracts police...the new Tang--astronauts choose coffee, tea, or pee.

No Going Back Now

2008-11-17T06:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the first time this year I turned on the heat in my apartment...I guess it'll be a while before I'm back to shorts and a t-shirt again.

Cool and Random

2008-11-15T13:37:00.003-05:00

Here's a cool set of stories, links, and pictures to much on...the most extreme (weather) conditions on the planet...a portal to the Mayan Hell found in Mexico...cool data center that they say a James Bond villain could use...lost photographs of the aftermath of Hiroshima...crazy close-up pic of a fuzzy, jumping spider...a fractal flower for your desktop...five strangely colored beaches...a guide to Marvel's Manhattan (map of where the superheroes hang out...a Lego Exo Suit...list of the 20 unhealthiest drinks in America.

2008-11-12T08:50:00.001-05:00

The Italian sub on the menu is something I miss now that I no longer reside near a Papa Gino's.

men are hard to make...and it's getting more difficult

2008-11-07T18:24:00.001-05:00

Seems that various factors, including environmental pollution, are making it harder for male babies to be born free of defects. This is really bad news for the future.

Construction, Fabrication, Modification

2008-11-01T10:14:00.003-04:00

Blue roses and purple tomatoes. We're putting lots of mods on our veggies.

Pyramids newly built in Kazakhstan.

private armies, artificial weather

2007-07-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

China has an active weather modification progam.

New Apple patents hint of what's to come. Another article hints at a Wireless iPod and so on.

Some Bourne Ultimatum stuff.

India opening Hogwarts-like school.

Microsoft admits every XBox 360 has a defect.

Russia votes to allow private corporations to have their own armies.

face-grabbers, transformers

2007-07-06T12:35:00.000-04:00

New deep-sea creature found, a cross between and octopus and a squid, and it resembles something from Alien that can easily grab your face.

I enjoyed seeing the Transformers movie do something with President Hoover in its lore...most people, if they even know who he is, just associate him with "doing nothing to deal with the Great Depression in the '30s." Apple is definitely ascendant with its iPhone success...and they had some product placement where one of the Section Seven guys in the Transformers movie was using a Mac.

iPhone and 1776

2007-07-03T12:19:00.000-04:00

One reason why I wouldn't buy an iPhone: the battery can't be replaced by the consumer, and you have to ship it off and pay $85.95 for it.

The AT&T EDGE network went down because of the I-Phone, they say. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but last night for an hour or so my BellSouth DSL was down, and others in Greenville County with BellSouth DSL also had issues.

Many Americans remained loyal to the British in 1776. They signed sort of an anti-"Declaration of Independence."

Man almost sucked out aircraft window at 22,000 feet.

friday wrap-up

2007-06-29T07:08:00.001-04:00

Beware Sylvester. "Cats are known for their ferocious, deadly nature."

Indiana Jones 4 now filming in New Haven.

Cop pulls over Weinermobile. Yes, that one: o - s - c - a - r.

The Sky is Blue TM

2007-06-25T07:42:00.001-04:00

I was at Jack in the Box the other day and noticed on the 44 oz. styrofoam cup where they are advertising how they serve breakfast all day that they have trademarked the phrase "the most important meal." Seems crazy to me, since everyone already uses that phrase.

How techs performed top secret tests of the iPhone in public, under your nose.

You'll never be fat enough to stop a bullet.

Man kills a bear with a log.

Thursday Craziness

2007-06-21T07:59:00.000-04:00

I'm on vacation tomorrow. Happiness abounds.

I haven't heard many reports of Red Tide for a while, until now.

Lunch today = a sandwich, corned beef and swiss to be precise.

I like this method: if you don't like something printed in the newspaper, steal all the copies.

Top ten banned video games.

Craziness: Cops taser a guy who soaked himself in gasoline. He catches fire. Also, a crowd beats a man to death who hit a child with his car. A man was kidnapped, dropped off in the woods and then hunted by men with with bow and arrows for a day.

Storm chaser captures pic of lightning hitting Devil's Tower. Isn't that the mountain from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, you know, with the mashed potatoes and stuff?

Thunderstorm kills man in cemetery, flips hot dog cart.

Scenes from a Japanese whale slaughterhouse.

Pizza-flavored beer. I already hate the taste of beer, and they had to go and kick it up a notch to make it yet more unpalatable.

More Dark Knight, Kimchee Soft Drinks, Absinthe, and Other Items

2007-06-19T07:07:00.000-04:00

More Dark Knight material: Batpod revealed.

Making biodegradable plastics out of chicken feathers and other items. Pic of a weird-looking circuit board.

Pilot blows up airline toilet by accidentally dumping dry ice into it. Apparently the blue liquid in there doesn't like dry ice. Beautifully written story.

List and pics of the top ten weird Japanese soft drinks.

Absinthe returns to the United States.

More Dark Knight

2007-06-18T07:46:00.001-04:00

More Dark Knight pics. Someone snapped these from a cell phone.

Quote of the Week

2007-06-15T14:14:00.000-04:00

"Even the Jolly Green Giant might think twice about changing his diet if he found a snakehead in his beans."--from a news article detailing how someone found a snake head in a can of green beans.

Friday Roundup

2007-06-15T08:01:00.000-04:00

Photo of Batman's new suit from The Dark Knight.

Photo of a caterpillar that looks like a cactus.

Scientists are creating a perfect silicon sphere to define the kilogram.

Back in the 50s you could buy your kids an atomic energy lab kit to experiment with. Came complete with uranium ore. Here's an article on all the radioactive items people can buy on Ebay. Yes, some of it glows in the dark.

Lobsters, Alarm Clocks, Landfills

2007-06-14T07:39:00.001-04:00

Blue lobster found.

School mistakes alarm clocks taped to walls (and set to all go off at the same time) for bombs, students charged.

What ice cream flavor is the one that has vanilla with brownie chunks and cherries? Staten Island Landfill. Sounds yummy. There's a hilarious line toward the end of that article.

Should I Sit Over Here or Sit Over There?

2007-06-08T07:55:00.000-04:00

Beware the toilets of Boston.

Sean Connery won't be in Indiana Jones 4.

School, Brain, Showers

2007-06-07T07:16:00.000-04:00

Protests at my old high school. I graduated from David Prouty High School in 1995. I hadn't realized things had gone downhill so much.

Hack your brain.

I feel bad for the people in Los Angeles who are facing a drought and have been asked not to take showers. I need my shower.

Canadian Coke: Uses Cane Sugar, Not Corn Syrup

2007-06-06T15:15:00.000-04:00

Another cane sugar coca-cola sighting in the blogosphere. No high-fructose corn syrup. This time, Canadian coke. Pics of the can and ingredients included.

Morning Pages

2007-06-06T08:17:00.000-04:00

This morning I began writing my first "morning pages" as part of the 12-week program outlined in Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way. It does take about 30 minutes to complete, which is what was predicted.

Check out a piece I did for Moleskinerie on South Carolina, Moleskines, The Writing Arts and The New Economy. Or at least it touches on each of those elements.

New frog discovered by scientists in the wild. It's nice and "purpular."

Coke and Water

2007-06-05T13:41:00.000-04:00

Coke announces campaign to save water, restore rivers. They say they want to ensure their business is sustainable in the future.

Personal Finance Haiku Challenge

2007-06-05T05:56:00.000-04:00

Hi,

If you are receiving this email, that means you've linked to Make Your Nut at some point (and thank you for doing so). I'd like to let you know about our Personal Finance Haiku Challenge, and if you find the concept interesting, to ask if you'd share the information with your readers.

The details are simple - we're looking for the best haiku about personal finance, and we're paying a cash prize of $20. The deadline for submissions is on June 15. After that, we're going to have an open voting period for another two weeks, whereupon we will announce the winner with the most votes.

You can read more about the challenge, and direct your readers to the details, at the following link:

http://makeyournut.com/?p=58

Thanks for your time!

DDL

The Departed

2007-06-04T14:01:00.001-04:00

Saw The Departed on DVD last night with a friend. Normally I won't watch mob-themed movies. This movie was very cool though, and definitely had an ending that makes you think. I also liked the Massachusetts setting of the plot. I always root for the bad guy, this time played by Matt Damon--very well I might add.

Experimental Doritos

2007-06-04T10:51:00.000-04:00

Anyone seen the black bag of experimental Doritos on store shelves? I was at Walmart and saw these bags marked X-13D or something similar to that, and they are apparently a promotional by Doritos. You get to taste them and suggest a name for them in a contest. People have said that they taste like hamburgers, especially since the ingredients supposedly have pickle powder and beef extract. I'm very reluctant to try what would essentially be a "burger chip." Actually, burgers come from cows, so you'd be perilously close to eating a "cow chip."

Humans Don't Change

2007-06-04T06:11:00.000-04:00

A Polish man went into a coma in 1988 and finally wakes up. He says that people complain just as much now (under capitalism) as they did during communism years ago. That's human nature, and it amuses me.

Starbucks Comment

2007-06-01T08:19:00.000-04:00

I sent out a comment card to Starbucks detailing my experience with the Iced Orange Mocha they offer. I pointed out that I definitely prefer the Iced Caramel Macchiato. We'll see what they say in response.

In Search of New Phrases

2007-05-30T09:43:00.001-04:00

This morning I came across an interesting phrase in an article on the re-branding craze...Canada was referred to as "Snow Mexico." I never heard that one before, but it makes sense.

I've been reading Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. Interesting so far.

Don't Get the Iced Orange Mocha @ Starbucks

2007-05-26T12:50:00.000-04:00

I stopped at Starbucks on the way home from lunch today. I decided to try the iced orange mocha they're advertising. Huge mistake. All you could taste the whole way through was this orange-marmalade type crap. Fortunately, I got the smallest size.

Cucumber Pepsi in Japan!

2007-05-24T10:23:00.000-04:00

Japan is a market for Cucumber Pepsi

Moonbows. Who Knew?

2007-05-22T22:51:00.000-04:00

I've never seen a moonbow, but want to.

Double Check IM Screennames

2007-05-21T14:22:00.000-04:00

Almost made a huge blunder today when I was going to make a joke about a coworker to another coworker on AOL IM. Trouble is, I had the person I was going to make the smart comment about on my mind so I accidentally clicked on their name. Thankfully, I noticed the screenname before I hit the "send" button. Word to the wise: whisper it at the water cooler like in the old days, don't type it, or you might have a lot of explaining to do.

Good to See it Happening: Indiana Jones IV

2007-05-15T13:16:00.000-04:00

May 22, 2008: Indiana Jones 4 is due out. They're filming in New Haven.

Ides of May

2007-05-15T11:36:00.000-04:00

Just struck me that it's the Ides of May. Beware?

Why Skittles?

2007-05-15T07:16:00.000-04:00

Theft of $250,000 worth of Skittles. There's one crime I could never understand. I hate Skittles.

My Latest Obsession

2007-05-14T12:22:00.000-04:00

Starbucks: Iced Caramel Macchiato.

Olbermann + Family Guy = Awesome

2007-05-11T07:52:00.001-04:00

Keith Olbermann does a guest voice on Family Guy.

Chik-fil-A Sauce: Addictive

2007-05-10T09:33:00.000-04:00

The Chik-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ sauce is unbelievably good. I may begin stockpiling packets of it.

Bizarro World Evacuation Plans

2007-05-10T07:13:00.000-04:00

It must be too early in the morning for me. There's a report that police were using a bag with a fake explosive in it as a training drill in a public area. The bag disappeared, so they evacuated the area. I'm obviously missing something. What this amounts to is that they basically said, "the fake bomb is gone, so get everyone out of here." I'm guessing that maybe they were worried someone would switch it out for a real bomb and didn't want anyone around for when the bag potentially made its re-appearance?

Things We Don't Notice

2007-05-09T11:34:00.000-04:00

I'd never noticed until today that on my Wild Cherry Pepsi can there is a small sentence stating "contains no juice." I wonder how many people would have assumed juice is in a cola drink, anyway. Maybe there's a government regulation mandating that the disclaimer be added to any product referencing a fruit, so as not to be misleading. It's a hard call to make, but I doubt anyone could go wrong by overestimating the degree to which modern Americans need to have their thoughts pre-digested for them. After all, Pepsi is a product that was once marketed as an aid in digestion, according to the lore.

Publix Food Fix In Progress

2007-05-04T15:24:00.000-04:00

Publix is indeed an excellent supermarket, as one insightful blogger has noted. They have sushi there, and normally I'd be terrified to buy it at a supermarket...but it's very good. They also make great submarine sandwiches (or grinders, if you're from New England)--their Italian is good (choose the Boar's Head meat when asked), as is the Philly Cheese.

Spiderman 3, Coke, Recovery

2007-05-04T12:51:00.000-04:00

Recovering from seeing the midnight showing of Spiderman 3. Got home at 3 a.m. and woke up for work at 5:30 a.m. Not too bad, though.

Find some coke that has real cane sugar in it, if you can. Real cane sugar is what they used in coke years ago, before it became cheaper to substitute high-fructose corn syrup.

Five Day Weekend

2007-05-02T10:02:00.000-04:00

I'm ready for a five day weekend. I think we all are.

Is Nothing Sacred?

2007-05-01T12:38:00.000-04:00

Hershey announced they are closing a plant...outsourcing overseas.

It Was $2.69 on Wednesday

2007-04-27T11:41:00.000-04:00

Greenville, SC gas prices up again: $2.74

Overreaction rules the day

2007-04-27T10:39:00.000-04:00

A student is arrested for writing what his English teacher deemed "a disturbing essay." I've been trying to avoid commenting on this topic these past few days, since it's been overdone in the media, but this is getting out of hand. Here's a clear message for everyone: you don't have to make arrests every time a student mouths off to a classmate, writes a scary story, or draws a crazy picture (the way students have done these things for years, without incident). What we are seeing is bordering on mass hysteria in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, and it stems from the fact that since nothing could have predicted what happened there, students everywhere are now being arrested for nothing. Harassing students who are quiet, who keep to themselves, or who fancy themselves budding horror story authors achieves nothing. It deprives liberty without conferring any safety. School systems that are oversensitive because they fear future lawsuits where the lawyers say "you should have noticed something was wrong with Student X" are instead going to be sued for First Amendment violations and such.

High and Low

2007-04-27T09:54:00.000-04:00

If you look at the quality of presidential inaugural speeches over the last couple hundred years, you'll notice that the American vocabulary has shrunk. The decline is somewhat scary. One columnist says "go along to get along" and condones "dumbing-down" our language. I'm inclined to disagree. Someone should hold up a higher standard...but there are few volunteers.

Tap water is regaining popularity among the elite.

Winding-down tips. I like the ritual of having an "official start to your evening."

Hospitality Riders

2007-04-26T06:03:00.000-04:00

Wii "creaming the competition?" The Wii is an abomination since you have to move around physically to play the game (and that's why people are accidentally throwing their controllers through their TV screens while simulating bowling and such). Physical movement defeats the purpose of video games. I'd go outside if I wanted exercise. Buy an X-Box 360.

Florida law intended to address the crime of impersonating a rock star. The Smoking Gun has the hospitality riders of major stars. See what items they request to have placed in their dressing rooms. A quick websearch shows me that The Hot Librarian posted what her list would look like. It's a cool idea, so here's mine.

Save by bringing your own sandwich and soda. Another resource also advocates that you brown bag it. I've been nuking Lean Cuisines in the microwave thus far, but a turkey sandwich on some multigrain bread might be a nice change.

Another laptop battery recall.

Smallville is on tonight (Thursday) at 8p.m. on the CW; The episode title is Nemesis: it's Lex vs. Clark--guaranteed to be good.

Don't underestimate the pleasures of French toast.

When it Rains, it Pours

2007-04-25T10:08:00.000-04:00

New Product: Coca-Cola Rain? Coke to "go green" (no, not the literal color of the product) and harvest rainwater.

Speaking of water, the town I spent ages 12 to 18 in cannot use its water due to a treatment plant accident involving too much sodium hydroxide (lye) being added to the tap water. I'm still going to stick with my decision to drink tap water, though.

Gasoline prices up in Greenville, SC: $2.69/gal.

Foreclosures up in Worcester County.

Shortage Meme Dream

2007-04-25T07:14:00.000-04:00

In a dream I had last night, I was at the Bi-Lo supermarket produce section speaking with a woman who is a fruit-seller. I asked her about a cherry shortage since the only ones she had on display were a yellow-orange color; they looked like miniature peaches with long stems, but I was interested in the dark red Bing cherries. I said I couldn't find any at other stores, but she told me there were no shortages. Apparently, the shortage meme has made its way into my subconscious mind. The daily reports at Urban Survival have been discussing and tracking occurrences of shortages as they appear in the news or the daily experiences of various consumers. I'm not sure if there is any truth to the possibility of a cherry shortage out there.

Americans travel slower than they did 50 years ago.

Newspapers are getting rid of book editors.

Keeping your desk clean.

Retro and Info

2007-04-24T11:29:00.000-04:00

I barely remember the New Coke but I do recall tan M&M's as well as the McDonald's McDLT and the McDonald's Cheddar Melt.

Access to education/knowledge/information is no longer the issue, but there remains a need for teachers or consultants to put things in context for you and help you navigate the overwhelming amount of material out there.

Sublime Solvency

2007-04-23T13:37:00.000-04:00

Ways to get out of debt and stay out.

Are you a busy or a burst worker?

Chicago Tribune Editor's Pick: book on writing letters...not yet a lost art.

Heroes returns to TV tonight

2007-04-23T11:14:00.000-04:00

Heroes is back on TV tonight, a new episode airs on NBC at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Ten traits of the greats. Optimism can be difficult to muster, though. Replace it with hope.

It's not what's in your wallet, it's what's on your desk. Peek at executives' desks.

Being Quiet Isn't a Crime

2007-04-23T10:36:00.000-04:00

Marc Fisher's Washington Post op-ed piece disappoints today as it advocates what amounts to college admissions discrimination against the quiet and introverted. Basically, he says that in light of the actions of the school shooter Cho, Virginia Tech should have had a more strenuous admissions process in terms of essays, character recommendations, interviews, and so on. Fisher implies that during this process Cho's "deficits" would be uncovered and presumably he wouldn't have been admitted. I'm glad that at least in some analyses I've seen of this incident the point has been made that most "quiet types" are not violent. Fisher's article also overlooks the role of colleges in fostering development; a lot of people who didn't pursue extracurriculars in high school find new activities and new possibilities once they arrive on a college campus. Instead of focusing on keeping people out, I'd suggest bringing people in and then providing more support networks during that critical freshman year.

Supplemental

2007-04-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

I do like Keith Olbermann's style.

I've given up Dasani. I'll drink it, but it saves me money when I don't buy it. I've been trying to convince myself not to pay for tap water twice...and tap water is supposedly more regulated than the bottled water industry. The tap water around here isn't too terrible, if it's kept really cold. Sometimes, though, it reminds me a little of pool water. I grew up in Massachusetts having an artesian well, so there was no hint of chlorine...it takes some getting used to.

Week Starting Off

2007-04-23T08:11:00.000-04:00

This weekend I got my passport photos taken at CVS. I'd been meaning to do it for a while, and finally got around to it.

Check out this list of 101 Ways to Tell if You're From Massachusetts. I recognize (or resemble) many of these!

Monday Bloggables

2007-04-22T21:51:00.000-04:00

Might be an interesting book. The unpredictable. Anti-knowledge.

More on the fate of the disappearing honeybees.

No honey? There's always maple syrup.

More X-Files

2007-04-21T01:20:00.000-04:00

Another one of my wishes is coming true: a sequel to the X-Files movie is on the way.