x y z

I'll be the one who'll break my heart
I'll be the one to hold the gun
I love you more
I love you more
I don't know what I knew before
But now I know I wanna win the war

mind blowing combination

helpful

I love it when I get an email at work that says "MUST READ" in the subject line. It's usually sent by someone in admin. I just think it's so helpful that they tell me which emails must be read. Previously, I was working under the assumption that I should read all emails I receive. Obviously, this was an erroneous and inefficient method.

But let me tell you, I have seen the light. Reading only the emails that are marked as such has really freed up some time, time that I can use on more valuable pursuits like updating my blog.

My second favorite is when I get an email labeled "Please read" (also usually sent by admin). My first instinct would be to delete said message. After all, it doesn't say I MUST read it, so why should I waste my time on a non-essential? But that "please" catches me every time. I mean, if they can be so polite as to say please, then by golly I can certainly return the favor and click it open. I guess you could say momma raised me right.

vacation fun fact(or)s

attraction

cologne : me :: alcohol : others

cracking the whip

Jonathan sent me a video link. But when I tried to pull up youtube, this is what I saw:



Apparently, our network frowns upon youtube during work hours. I'm glad it hasn't figured out about blogger yet.

things I'd like to try

Crayon Physics Deluxe
World of Goo
Donation Derby

brain itch

I remember some years ago reading the line, "I am afraid to show you who I really am, because I am afraid you might not like it — and that’s all I’ve got."

I googled it to find the source, and to my surprise it's being attributed to some chick I've never heard of (certainly never read her book).

I'm pretty sure my source attributed the quote to some anonymous guy. Now I wish I could remember the theme of that book or article. I think it was non-fiction.

This is going to drive me crazy.

circle yes or no

A friend of one of my co-workers told her he thought I was cute. Then a few days later asked her if she had told me what he said.

Cute.

flotsam and jetsam

http://flickr.com/photos/catandgirl/1585186867/

http://flickr.com/photos/catandgirl/760205066/

http://flickr.com/photos/catandgirl/1123862877/

resurrection

I (re)discovered my old blog and found that I could revive it. I still haven't decided whether that's comforting or disturbing. Should blogs be cryogenically frozen, or should they be given a proper burial once they're dead? Personally, I vote for cremation, but I don't know how that would affect the other blogs still living on the server.

pesky 8th month

This writer proposes that we get rid of August, and lists all the reasons why. Sounds good to me. Wonder how it would affect the last-minute rush to get your time done.

elegance

If I had a lot of money, I wouldn't spend my money on flashy cars and appalling fashion. I would buy fine quality writing instruments and personalized stationery.

Ah, I think I've found my weakness...

*sigh* Such a snob when it comes to the written word.

muse

I think someone should write a song where the lyrics rhyme "señorita" and "Velveeta" in a clever way.

Radium Craze

I'm currently reading "Obsessive Genius" by Barbara Goldsmith, a biography about Marie Curie. I would recommend it, as it's very interesting. I've just passed the section that talks about Curie's isolation and identification of the element radium in 1902. I never realized this discovery touched off a "radium craze" around the world.

The book's website has an abridged chapter posted, noting that radium can be diluted up to 600,000 times and still retain its power. Dilutions of radium were added to tea, health tonics, face creams, lipsticks, bath salts, even water. One American industrialist, Eben Byers, drank the radium-water product Raithor at a rate of a bottle a day for 4 years, "at the end of which he died in excruciating pain from cancer of the jaw as his facial bones disintegrated."

I wonder how much of the weird health issues we're facing now has to do with this glorious chapter in history. Radium has a half-life of 1,620 years, after all.

Related links:

The Radium Girls
Theodore Gray apparently collects item from the radium craze era; it's scary to think of what you can buy on Ebay.
More history on atomic energy use through the years

Yet another use for duct tape

Who says you have to spend a lot of money to give a classy gift? For those of you lacking manual dexterity, consider this pre-assembled alternative.

I love my country. Long live consumer culture!

Stay in school, kids (part II)

If I owned a grocery store, and had a "10 items or less" lane, I would rig it so that alarms and flashing lights would go off once the cashier scanned an 11th item. A soothing voice would announce, "We're sorry, you have activated our automated idiot-detection system. Please step back and an associate will help you shortly." At which point the customer would be whisked to a back room for remedial math lessons.

I bet that would help speed up checkout.

Stay in school, kids

While I was waiting in line at Burger King the other day, I started reading the rules and regulations for their Star Wars "Choose Your Destiny" game pieces. When I got to section 4-B (it was a long line), I noticed an interesting statement (viewable online here) that dealt with how to redeem your food prize:

"Canadian residents are required to obtain a Skill Testing Question Sheet (available at participating BURGER KING® restaurants in Canada) and correctly answer the mathematical skill testing question on the sheet. Prior to awarding prize, a Canadian restaurant employee will verify Game Piece and the answer to the skill testing question."

Can you imagine them doing that in the US? Might help cut down on the obesity problem...

But I found an explanation for the skill testing question. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with the popular concept that if you're stupid, you don't deserve food. Too bad.

Behave yourself

I wonder if the ASBO concept will ever make it to the US.

Out of the loop

Maybe it's because I live in a third-world country now, but I've never heard of Crazy Frog. Perhaps I should count that as a blessing. But if you're really curious, you can see what all the fuss is about.

And if you really have too much time on your hands (or if you binge on cable connections after living in a third-world country), read the lyrics or the history of what some consider "the most annoying thing."