Ain't No Weatherman

I teach Oral Communication: Principles and Practice and have my students bring in an artifact to illustrate some concept we will go over within that class.

One of my students used this video as an example of listening gone all wrong.
It's quite appropriate (and by the same token, completely inappropriate).
Hahahaha.
I love my job.


So Christina Aguilera, that's what you were really saying. Hmmmm.

Apparently there are a bunch of these. I had no idea.
Yellow Ledbetter
Temperature
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Numa Numa

Cool Hunter

The Cool Hunter website is a pretty 'cool' website for finding new stuff (that you probably can't afford). But ultra stylish, nonetheless.


Haha, last semester I was trying to explain the difference between appeals to field related standards and individual standards, and the only example I could think of was the Cool Hunters. I couldn't remember the name of the website though, so I went on this digression about cool kids giving out stickers to people with trendy purses, new scooters, the latest jeans, and fancy apartments setting the standards of "coolness" for the rest of us. Wow. That's probably why I recieved all those raised eyebrows. No really, I wasn't making it up: The Cool Hunter.


I wish I could be a cool hunter. It'd be like getting paid to envy appreciate other people's stuff. Cool.

"Make Platitude!"

Quote Unquote

Generate a Barack Obama Quote!

"I think it's time we had a national conversation about the economic downturn. We need to get past all the disease and recognize that we are our own best hope for overcoming man-eating tigers. We need unicorns, not unemployment. Unicorns are our change we can believe it. And we need to have change in the economic downturn."

Generate your Barack Obama quote at Buttafly.com

Did I mention I plan on going to the inauguration this Tuesday?

Can you spell INDOCTRINATION?

Holy Word! This is creepy. A whole new level of creepy I didn't even think existed in 21st century America.

Sing for Change A bunch of children singing hymns for Obama. The angelic little voices. Matching t-shirts. Excited parents and overzealous music teacher.

If this isn't bad for democracy, I don't know would be. Am I the only one who thinks cult-like children groups are a bad sign for our future? No matter the candidate being endorsed, this is political propaganda and indoctrination at its worst.

Improv Everywhere

This is interesting. Improv Everywhere.

They do the most random things in the most random paces with hundreds of random people. You gotta love it.

No Pants Day
Food Court Musical
Frozen Grand Central


My favorite is probably no pants day. Why doesn't DC attract these types of events? It's always NYC.

Where Did I Put the Magnifying Glass?

I especially like this one (from over there at indexed).

Why does it feel like I'm signing my life away? Do I really have to read all those those tiny ink blots?

The Tomorrow Museum

The Tomorrow Museum is a good blog that explores a different element of art that affects us in unseen ways.

The Tomorrow Museum is a collection of images and speculative essays exploring how technology, science, and economics are affecting the fine arts. We believe, as William Gibson has said, that the future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed yet.

Recent posts include:

Suburban Ruins and the Ethics of House Flipping ---Some people are holding on to their houses because they don't want to sell it to young whippersnappers who are going to 'flip' everything around. The article suggests a DC woman may not have any other choice, "gross remodeling may be its inevitable second life. For now, she’s still waiting for someone who will respect the design of the place." Her nostalgia is understandable, but really, can you stop modernization? And no matter how you answer that, you definitely can't control other people's decisions, house design-wise or not. At least buyers aren't pawing at her to rip her house down to make way for a shopping mall---that might just be a case for cardiac arrest.

Please don't leave a facebook comment on my birthday ---which I somewhat disagree with. Who doesn't like a little facebook love? Sure, a little one-on-one interaction would be nice, but it isn't always practical. I think a quick "happy b-day" is short and sweet.

A trip to the zoo Animals are smart. And (maybe?) nice to look at. Zoos are straying away from the museum mentality, you know the whole idea of looking at the creature with a "frame around it." Today they are going full out imitation. However, the question still remains the same, Is it wrong to keep Mr. Panda locked up in his pretend almost real natural habitat?

Idiots, Technology, and Dating

Assorted Links

How To Be The Perfect Girlfriend via Video Jug
---Even for the unattached, good stuff to know. Let him measure things. Ah, yes. This is why I'm single...

How to keep an idiot busy
---5 minutes of fun...or amusement...or frustration...or whatever. Note: There is a way to "win." Only not-idiots can figure it out. Oh, ouch.

Lifehacker
---good blog for the tech-savvy, or those wanting to be.

Worst Phone Message Ever via Holy Taco
----I can't imagine why Olga didn't call Dmitri back?? This is when dating goes all wrong. Or...the attempt of it. He probably doesn't get many dates.

Did I mention that the 3 ingredients in the title somehow have a way of finding each other? Sort of like white bread, peanutbutter & jelly.

Smiles Are Contagious; I Dare You Not to Smile at These

Check out Great Smiles - Happy Life - The Happiest Blog on Earth which features new smiles everyday. A great idea. People share their best smile photos with the site and they post a new one every day. I know some smilers. You know, people who smile even when the world is crashing and burning around them, but gosh darn it, they just can't wipe that smile off their face... The world needs more smilers.

And by the way, who can't smile at faces like these?




Come on. Don't fight it. I know you're smiling.

Finally, A Happy News Only Source

What a novel idea. HappyNews.com is a news site that doesn't make you feel depressed after reading it (unless you are the Grinch or take pleasure in other's misfortune that is). This news source only publishes positive stories. I'd say it is a welcome relief. Finally, some news that helps to restore a little hope in humanity and happiness in our days.

Sometimes I get bogged down by the traditional negative news stories after negative news story, from violence, fires, hurricanes, war, corruption, poverty, to lying, stealing, cheating, terrorism, and dying. If I am watching TV and the local news pops on, I can hardly stand it. I have to go find the remote and change the channel (or go read a book). While I am a huge proponent of staying informed, following the news is sometimes just asking to much. And that is a sad truth about the condition of our world.

Enough with my diatribe though...add some HappyNews to your life.

Link courtesy of Jazz over at Jazz Spot Thanks.

White and Nerdy

If you are white and nerdy (or neither), you'll like this blog, Stuff White People Like. It's a big list of, well, stuff white people tend to like. It's hilarious.


The list details the white person's obsession with (to name a few): coffee, bad memories of high school, Apple products, multi-lingual children, irony, music piracy, sweaters, and expensive sandwiches.

My personal favorite, Grammar:

Do not assume that white people will cast a blind eye to your grammar mistakes in email and official documents. They will judge you and make a general assessment about your intelligence after the first infraction. Fortunately, this situation can be improved if you ask a white person to proof read your work before you send it out. “Hey Jill, I’m sorry to do this, but I have a business degree and I’m a terrible writer. Can you look this over for me?” This deft maneuver will allow the white person to feel as though their liberal arts degree has a purpose and allow you to do something more interesting.

Don’t worry, it is impossible for a white person to turn down the opportunity to proofread.

----That's me. That's me. I am that person... Why do I get the feeling I am being mocked??

Lost in Translation

Have you ever gone to one of those online text translators like Babelfish or Free Translation to get a translation of something from English into another language? And then a few days later you find out that you inadvertently said something appalling, politically incorrect, embarrassing, dirty, or nonsensical?

Well, yeah, that's the problem systematic translating. So why not exploit this terrible inadequacy? That's what the site, Lost in Translation, by Carl Tashian does. From English into 5 different languages and then back into English, the phrase you type in will become ridiculous. Some examples of stuff I typed in:

Can't stop this.
--This cannot be arrested.

Roses are red. Violets are blue. Sugar is sweet and so are you.
--One rose of the colors is red. The viola is blue. Therefore the sugar is motivatings force and you are you.

Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow.
--Maria had a small lamb, of that trapunte he who was white women like the snow.

Row row your boat gently up the stream.
--Rudders he he chain its easy boat to the expensive outpost of the startings.

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
--Itsy bitsy of the spider assembled entrerrosca of the water.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.
--It has something because the liberations at noon do not eat.


Huh?
Just think---these are the things you are telling your foreign friends (or German teacher) when you use these services. Shudder.

Hopeline

As part of an effort to curb suicides and partner with one of my favorite websites, PostSecret (which I've blogged about here), I am posting this video. It is trying raise awareness about Hopeline whose goal is to save lives.
People sometimes need help. And having a hotline to call could be the difference between life and death. We don't always know what kind of struggles the very people around us are going through. Keep hope alive.

Global Exchange

I've been checking out this site, Global Exchange, per the recommendation of a reliable source:). I love the message it promotes. I love it's purpose and it's vision.

Global Exchange is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world.

We envision a people centered globalization that values the rights of workers and the health of the planet; that prioritizes international collaboration as central to ensuring peace; and that aims to create a local, green economy designed to embrace the diversity of our communities.

However (of course there is always a however), I'm not 100% convinced this community of people has all the answers. While I am passionate about obtaining "social, economic and environmental justice," I feel like the site is somewhat one-sided and slides into conspiracy theory group think. Don't get me wrong, they ought to be commended for their efforts and noble convictions, but I get the feeling that sometimes people get so caught up in their mission they never stop asses the situation correctly or to find the right cure.

I am reminded of Confessions of an Economic Man by John Perkins which was an engaging and disturbing read, but more than likely exaggerated account of evil corporate America and government.

That said, there's a lot to read over at Global Exchange, so go visit. There's a lot of pondering to do. What is truth and myth when it comes to globalization?

i am neurotic

I enjoy reading about others' neuroses over on the site, i am neurotic.

People seem to have idiosyncrasies from fear of the letter E to irrational organizational behavior. Site visitors anonymously send in their secret little obsessions to share with others. For some reason, peeking at the crazy stupid unexplainable habits/fears of other people is amusing. Perhaps there is comfort in knowing that everyone has a little bit OCD-approaching behavior hidden somewhere.

I sent in one within the past week and it is published on the site. I won't tell you which one is mine, but maybe you can guess?

YOU should share your strange behavior with the rest of the world. Let me know if you do, so I can read it and laugh at your uncontrollable freakish neuroses too!

Kaleidoscope

Remember putting your eyes up to the end of Kaleidoscope and rotating it around to have a magical burst of colors dance in front of you? In case you do (or don't) try playing with this fancy virtual tool by zefrank. It's not quite the same as the real deal, but this way you get to build your own Kaleidoscope with nothing more than a black circle, basic geometric forms, and a rotating blue wedge. My final result was way cool, and I used all the pieces.

Warning: Don't stare at the rapidly moving colors too long. You may start to feel sleepy, very sleepy.

Million Dollar Homepage

I wish I had this idea first. The Million Dollar Homepage that sold 1 million pixels for $1 dollar each to eager advertisers to have a stable URL link on a basic homepage.

The Million Dollar Homepage is a website conceived by Alex Tew, a then 21-year-old student from England to help raise money for his university education. Launched on August 26, 2005, the website is said to have generated a gross income of $1,037,100 USD.

That's insane. And so simple. Good for the entrepreneur. Funny thing though is that he ended up dropping out of college because he was SO successful and made SO much money. I wonder whether this project was 'good' for him in the end or not? Can a million dollars and the fame of a good idea replace a university education?

That is the question.

Indexed

Indexed is one of my new favorite websites. Every week day, Jessica Hagy posts a new intriguing Venn diagram or line graph to entertain her readers. She's a witty gal. And her math problems (read social commentaries) drawn on simple notecards are usually hilarious or insightful. Always one or the other. I'm a fan.

WikiScanner

Want to sneak a peek at just who is editing our well-loved friend, Wikipedia (the bane of every professor who has ever assigned a research project)?

WikiScanner reports specifically when somebody messes with wikipedia who probably shouldn't mess with wikipedia.

The crimes it tracks include:

"Wholesale removal of entire paragraphs of critical information. (common for both political figures and corporations)

White-washing -- replacing negative/neutral adjectives with positive adjectives that mean something similar. (common for political figures)

Adding negative information to a competitor's page. (common for corporations)"

A NY Times Article speaks about the issue too.

Internet users have spotted plenty of interesting changes to Wikipedia by people at nonprofit groups and government entities like the Central Intelligence Agency. Many of the most obviously self-interested edits have come from corporate networks.

Last year, someone at PepsiCo deleted several paragraphs of the Pepsi entry that focused on its detrimental health effects. In 2005, someone using a computer at Diebold deleted paragraphs that criticized the company’s electronic voting machines. That same year, someone inside Wal-Mart Stores changed an entry about employee compensation.

This dilemma seems to appear in every wiki environment. What's stopping hotel owners from posting rave reviews of their own rooms on travel sites? When anyone is allowed to contribute, well, just about everyone with an invested interest will.

And, the most important question we arrive at then is, is it even unethical for certain people/corporations to change information floating around on the Internet when it is about them after all. I know if someone used ugly adjectives to describe me, I'd want to get in there and make them sound a whole lot more positive. Where is the line between subjective opinion and cold hard truth?

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about the issue, but I am sure that I don't want to be an Internet information dupe. Thanks Wikiscanner for attempting to keep wiki's more honest.

The Onion

Have you read The Onion lately? It is an satirical online news site. While their politcs tend to swing to the left, I have to admit, their jokes are funny.

The caption to the photo on the right is "KFC Releases New Family-Size Nugget" Ewwwwww.

If you visit, make sure to click on "Statshot" and "Infograph" in addition to articles that you find interesting. But if you only have time to look at one thing, look at "From the Print Edition." They are always the best.


Here's a taste of some good Onion headlines and a Statshot I like:

Google Announces Plan To Destroy All Information It Can't Index
MySpace Outage Leaves Millions Friendless
Revlon Forced To Test Cosmetics On Plants
Toilet That Uses 50 Percent Less Water Must Be Flushed Six Times
Oprah's Contraceptive Club Prevents 450,000 Pregnancies In First Month
Report: Scientists Still Seeking Cure For Obesity
Opinion: Stop Making Movies About My Books
Wii Video Games Blamed For Rise In Effeminate Violence
Mom-And-Pop Loan Sharks Being Driven Out By Big Credit-Card Companies
Al Gore Caught Warming Globe To Increase Box Office Profits
Man Finally Put In Charge Of Struggling Feminist Movement


The Onion. America's Finest New Source.