Genibo

Korean robot dog "Petting the machine’s head, back or flank, or giving it a ball will distort its features into a happy expression. The robot is capable of navigating its way around obstacles in its path. Dasatech’s 40-member team has invested three years of research into completing the robot, which contains 17 small motors and a CPU, as well as Bluetooth features that allow it to receive wireless commands from a computer in its plastic body." Too cool and too cute!! Technorati tag: Genibo

Pac Man's Pirate Ghost

Besides my obsession with peeps, I also have a bit of a Pac Man fever. Just seeing this sculpture made me smile, but reading the title left me rolling with laughter on the floor. The title: "Eat Me, You Fat Yellow Bastard" leaves so much to the imagination. However, it also reminded me of something I once yelled at my ex. If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area in the near future, you can check out the iAM 8-bit show. The opening reception was April 18th and the show runs through May 19th at Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight. Technorati tag: pac man pirate ghost

Tongue in cheek

This headline made me look twice, "Scientists Probe the Use of the Tongue" Technorati tag: tongue

One giant leap

Over the past year or so I have seen a significant decrease in the amount of spending money that I have left over every month. As a matter of fact the "walking around money" that I used to have was at least significant enough to buy a couple of meals out once in a while. Now that pocket money has completely gone missing. After a little research into my finances - nothing has really changed. My debt load has re-arranged itself a few times by going from one credit card to another but has not really increased. So I started looking at my spending. Where did my money go besides bills? Well it seems that I spend money on food which makes perfect sense because I do like to eat. I really do prefer eating to starving. I pretty much grouped all food related purchases together which makes it easier to say that it is okay to have the Venti Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks and not feel like I am spending my money unwisely. A couple of bucks a month go to my nieces and nephews all over the country - since I rarely visit its the least I can do (which of course makes it guilt money, but it all spends the same). One thing I did learn is that I spend almost nothing on entertainment every month - the occasional movie rental was about it. What I do spend a significant portion of my income on is gasoline. And with gas prices rising, it can only get worse. Here is where the leap comes into play. Since I was spending so much money on gasoline, I needed to find something that gets much better gas mileage without costing me a fortune in vehicle payments which, unfortunately, left out the Carver One. However, I found a solution.... More details to come... Technorati tag: leap

My kind of tattoo

Part of this tattoo is done with blacklight reactive ink. The black outline is still in regular ink, but all the glowing bits are the reactive ink. This is definitely one that I could hide from my mother. This one was done by Richie. From Random Good Stuff. Now if they could just figure out how to tattoo without the needles. Technorati tag: blacklight reactive ink tattoo

From sexy car to sexy couch

There have been oh so many truly sexy American cars - Corvette, Mustang, Cobra, etc. Sexy American cars are as American as apple pie. Which somehow brings me to the back seats of sexy cars, which is where most people end up eventually. Sexy cars have some really sexy back seats just made for making out. This gives you that back seat feeling in your living room. "America's dream car! The Shelby Cobra with its sexy lines and awesome performance has always instilled a feeling of excitement in car enthusiasts around the globe. This high performance machine has guaranteed itself a place in history and those sexy lines have now been captured in Corbin's latest offering of automotive furniture. This comfortable couch offers a seat and a half that provides ample room for one or can seat two people if they're cozy." from Corbin. Make sure to check out the Shelby Automobiles site to see the Cobra. Technorati tag: sexy car couch

Reminiscent of MacGyver

Since I never took chemistry in school, I am at a loss most of the time regarding mixing chemicals. However, I find it just fascinating when someone else finds some way of mixing common household products to come up with something useful (like borax and sugar for killing bugs). Along those same lines the folks over at shutterbug have a 2003 article on developing film in the kitchen (provided you can get your kitchen dark enough). as found on Metafilter. Technorati tag: alternative darkroom

Two Sided Spreader

Why oh why didn't I think of this? Although, I would have given it a much better name. The name "Two Sided Silicone Spreader" leaves a lot to be desired. It also leaves a lot to the imagination - some of them involving Real Dolls (NSFW). Spreader link from from Fosfor Gadgets. Technorati tag: 2 sided spreader

Too many peeps = Diorama

Easter is over, but what do you do with all those leftover peeps? Write a book? Make a movie? Take them to the library. Eat them? Some people decided to create a diorama, and to enter it into a contest. The prizes for the contest were, appropriately, toothbrushes. The third annual Pioneer Press Marshmallow Peeps Diorama contest has gone from 40 entries the first year to 400 entries this year. This year's contest winner is: March of the Peeps by Nancy Papenfuss which is pictured above. The St. Paul Pioneer Press has this to say about peeps "Like no other foodstuff we can think of, Peeps have become a strange vehicle for dreams, nightmares and profound weirdness." "Profound weirdness" - I think that pretty much sums up the Marshmallow Peep lovers in general (yes, of course I am including myself in this). Technorati tag: marshmallow peeps diorama art

Putting Oklahoma on the map

I have lived in Oklahoma off and on over the years, but I always understood the limitations. The main, and most frustrating limitation, of living here is the fact that it is so hard to go to an event here. If you are wanting to go to a seminar or conference you have to go out of state to do so. I know that the vendors/trainers/speakers are all willing to come here and that people are willing to pay money to go to these events. I have brought these type of people here before - without too much coaxing. However, the event planners don't seem to think that this state is one to put on their list as a matter of course. They would rather go to Dallas or Phoenix than come to Oklahoma City. The whole reason this came up is was a little Internet surfing that resulted in locating a calendar of events that listed Provo, Utah as having an event. But there wasn't a single event listed in Oklahoma. It just got me to thinking about how we very often see events that are more willing to go to Salt Lake City than they are to go to Oklahoma City. Which lead me to wondering if population were a factor? So I looked it up on the good ol' Internet (which means use these numbers at your own risk): Utah Population: 2,233,169 Salt Lake City: 179,894 Provo: 105,410 Oklahoma Population: 3,450,654 Oklahoma City: 506,132 Norman: 100,923 It makes no sense. We have far more people here than there are in Utah, but the event planners almost always go there - and avoid Oklahoma. It just makes me wonder: Are we (Oklahomans) forgetting to ask for some of these events to come here? Is there a reputation that we can't even begin to overcome? Is there nothing to offer to events people? Technorati tag: events

Pomegranate Martini

A friend of mine was talking about these the other day. At first thought, it sounded disgusting. But on second thought, it is a very interesting sounding drink that I am going to try. I looked up a couple of recipes for making one: pomegranate martini recipe, Oprah's Favorite Pomegranate Martini, and pomegranate martini cocktail. Update: After trying the other recipes, here is my recipe for it (I like things simple): Ingredients: 1 oz SKYY Vanilla vodka 1 oz SKYY Berry vodka 1/2 oz pomegranate juice 1 oz simple syrup (to taste) Directions: Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with orange peel, and serve. Technorati tag: pomegranate martini

What does it take to be a millionaire?

My answer to that question is: "having a million dollars." If you search for that question on google, you get all sorts of answers. Most of the answers that you get are trying to sell you something. Which means less towards your millionaire fund - go figure. A few of the sites had interesting advice involving tenacity, persistence, patience, investing, and so on. Nothing as helpful as: Step 1 - do this; Step 2 - do this; and so on. Personally, I don't wonder about being a millionaire. My question is: "What does it take to be a billionaire?" However, the answer is still the same: "having a billion dollars." The prompting for all this was a personal calculator that I happened across online. It asked the million dollar question and attempted to let you calculate the answer for yourself. Technorati tag: millionaire billionaire

Removal of the middle

Many, many years ago I found out something very interesting about my family history and the way it effected me. Like most American's, I have a first name, middle name, and last name (in that order). And also, like most American's, I hate at least one of my given names. My mother swears that my first name is French and that it did not come from her favorite soap opera star of the day. I like my first name even though it seems like most people get it wrong. My middle name, I was told, came from some distant relative in my family tree. Now this is an acceptable reason for having a hick middle name. You can tell people who ask: "Yeah it is a stupid/crappy/weird name but I was named after my great, great, great Aunt on my Father's side." However, later in life I found out that I was never actually named after anyone - my middle name had been made up somewhere along the way and never appeared in any ancestral records. My revenge for this was to have my middle name surgically removed from the rest of my name. I am sure it will later give the genealogy people hell. And for those of you who want to know what my middle name was - too bad. I won't tell you. I had it removed for a reason. I will let you guess though... some guesses that I have gotten over the years to get you started: Eugene Althea Fritz Didina Technorati tag: middle name

Poker Cheats

I have been watching the poker tournaments for some time now. When the players get to the final table (or close to it) the commentators start bringing up whatever bio information they have on the finalists. Generally, the comments are pretty lame, but once in awhile the comments will just leave you rolling on the floor.This pickle grower from Kentucky started playing poker when he was just 7 years old. He first learned while watching those pickles grow out in the field. His great-great great-grandfather gave him his first set of chips. It is primarily for this reason that I watch the poker tournaments in the first place. In general, I prefer to play poker with friends or family for candy (or whatever). We don't play for money because we are just playing the game to pass the time. If we wanted to play for money, we would go to the local Indian Casino. However, I found a great book that makes me think I might want to start playing poker for money with my friends and/or family. The book: HOW TO CHEAT YOUR FRIENDS AT POKER: The Wisdom of Dickie Richard by Penn Jillette. From the Penn & Teller website: "“To get money cheating in Vegas takes a lot of work,"” Penn explains. "“To make money cheating at home games is much easier All that makes it hard are the morals and, unfortunately, there are ways to get over that problem. Sadly, this book will help." While I know that cheating your friends at poker is morally reprehensible, I also know that it could be loads of fun :-) Technorati tag: poker cheats

Set the record for cuff links

I think the best thing about these cufflinks is that when you wear them, there will be those that show their age on both sides. I can hear the conversations now: Conversation #1 Wiser person: "Are your cuff links made out of those old 45 record adapters?" Wearer: "Why yes they are." Conversation #2 Young person: "Those symbols on your arms are sweet! Are they from the new P!nk CD?" Wearer: "Um. No, but thanks for asking." And yes, I know I am partly showing my age by even posting this. Technorati tag: 45 adapter cufflinks

Watermat

Since summer is fast approaching, I have seen the usual run of new water related items. The most interesting one I have seen lately has to be this one: the watermat. They claim it holds up to 1500 pounds and is very easy to set up "Walk. Jump. Dance. Slide. Relax. All on the surface of the water. And it's only possible with the Watermat. I would consider this as something very entertaining to take to the lake, but the cost on this bad boy is $599. via Neatorama. Technorati tag: watermat

Sheepish Ads

It appears that the ad games have gone to the sheep. These sheep appear to be very happy to have been chosen as the latest models for hotels.nl. via we-make-money-not-art. Technorati tag: sheep ad

Math for a perfect ass

The original: (S+C) x (B+F)/T = V is the formula that describes the "ideal female ass" in shape, bounce, firmness and symmetry, according to psychology lecturer David Holmes of Manchester Metropolitan University in England: "S is the overall shape or droopiness of the bottom, C represents how spherical the buttocks are, B measures muscular wobble or bounce, while F records the firmness. V is the hip to waist ratio, or symmetry of the bottom, and T measures the skin texture and presence of cellulite." Oh puhleez - if you need a math formula to determine if someone (female or otherwise) has a great ass, then you don't need math - you need glasses. Via Boing Boing. Technorati tag: math ass

Peep Skirt

I just can't seem to help myself. I must post about peeps. Besides now you know that peeps can be used as clothing!! Link (surprisingly safe for work) via Boing Boing. Technorati tag: peep skirt

Keep the George - Lose the Bush!

Absolutely genius! Must get me a pair of these! You can find more brilliant apparel at Misters and Misses - they support George Clooney for President. Technorati tag: george bush undies

Peep Links

It seems that peeps are not just for eating alone - they are also ingredients for both food and drink. My favorite recipe being Rice Krispy Peeps from Epicurious.com: Decapitate 20 peeps, reserving the heads. (Fresh peeps work best). Make Rice Krispy Treats according to package directions, substituting peep bodies for the marshmallows. Pour mixture into pan and press into place. Mentally divide the pan into squares and press one peep head into each "square" while the mixture is still warm. Cool and cut into squares. So festive! You can also find peep experiments if you search hard enough. It also seems that people use them for interesting art projects. Technorati tag: peeps

Peep Show

I know, I know, my love of peeps is really starting to show, but I couldn't resist that face. I found this great picture over at DPChallenge. I love the title of it: Peep Show. The composition is fabulous, the lighting is perfect, and the choice of subject matter is just the best. The whole picture can be found here. Technorati tag: peep show face

gone are the days

...or are they just re-formed? A long, long time ago - I feel like breaking into song - before the Internet was invented by Al Gore ;-), there were BBSes. I spent some brief time in 1985-1986 as a SysOp and Co-SysOp of two different BBSes in Oklahoma. I think I was also the mascot of another, but I can't be sure. The one of which I was Co-SysOp was of some note here and the other one only had one or two users. Most of the time I spent writing and responding to forums or discussions which is much the same as I do now. I also dabbled a bit into ASCII art which was amusing. Today I noticed that there is a discussion going on at metafilter about this very same topic. One trend that I hadn't picked up on, I'm a little slow sometimes, and someone else did was the fact that BBSes and Blogs have quite a bit in common (they also have quite a bit in common with dicussion boards and the like - but we'll stick with this topic). I think they have a very valid point: "I've recently become interested in the parallels between the BBS scene of the early 1990s and the blog scene of today. I used to run a BBS in the 314 AC, and was involved in the scene for a number of years. In particular, I spent a lot of time on BBSes that had a regular user base and a focus on message boards. These BBSes make me think of blogs, most notably for the types of relationships that they foster." In my opinion, blogs do foster relationships and can help revive old ones (I have briefly gone off on this tangent before here and here). I also noticed a link to BBSmates that I will have to check out when I get a chance. Could it be that the BBSers of old have just found a new voice? Technorati tag: bbs relationships and memories

queen of lesbian history

Christina Aquilera purchased a Banksy for about $43,500USD. Whether she was aware of the lesbian connotations of the painting or not is debatable. However, she was quite "taken by the controversial art work" and "decided she wanted it for her home" from female first. The painting (possibly NSFW) shows the late Queen Victoria, who passed anti-homosexual laws and "famously believed women were incapable of being gay", depicted as a lesbian. Victoria, clad in stockings and garter belt, is painted in a compromising position with another woman. via Luxist. Technorati tag: queen lesbian history

Hell just froze over

Apple just released a patch that will let the new Intel-chipped Macs to run Windows, Reuters article. I have been using an Apple computer since I was 12 years old. I saw an actual Apple Lisa for sale in a store and thought the Mac OS was super cool when the Mac first came out. I never thought I would live to see the day when Apples would run Windows. Technorati tag: Apple Mac Windows

A question of sequels

There are some movies that have been made in this world that stand apart from all others. Not for any other reason than it was so gosh darn awful that it is good. It is a great movie because of its awfulness and not in spite of it. The movie Clerks sit squarely in the status of a "so bad it is good" movie. Generally these movies have some redeeming quality or another to them that bring them into a cult status. Occasionally, there are those that were actually good, but nobody wanted to see the movie either because of its title or subject matter. Personally, I love bad movies. I think that creating a movie so bad that it is good is an art form unto itself and should be rewarded (and not with a raspberry), but maybe a sub-category at the Oscars for best cult film or some other such nonsense. Which leads me on to the subject of sequels. Should a bad movie, even if it manages to make it to cult status, have a sequel? Would it still have that magic spark to it that made it a "so bad that it is good" movie? Well, we will soon find out with the release of Clerks 2. Technorati tag: clerks 2 bad movie

Gimmick + book + video = $$$$$

It seems that every few seconds there is a new diet or fitness craze being marketed to the American public. The crazes are completely unavoidable unless you never leave your house and even then you will probably still get the message. Personally, I think that all these diet fads just make us fatter and all the advertising about them just makes everyone feel bad which makes everyone eat more (or develop eating disorders - which is a whole other story). The fitness craze of the month is called Oxycise and it isn't all that much different from what Greer Childers came up with 10 years ago. I think that we all just need to follow Margaret Cho's "Fuck It Diet" and go on with our lives. In case you showed up here to find the steps involved in Oxycise (from their website): Step 1 - Inhale Breathe in fully and quickly through your nose, relaxing your stomach and face so you can take in as much air as possible. Step 2 - Lift While holding your breath, tighten your abdominal muscles to pull in and lift your belly. (Placing your hands on your tummy can help guide you.) Step 3 - Tilt and Squeeze Tilt your pelvic area in and up. (Your shoulders should be slightly rounded.) Squeeze and lift up your buttocks ever so lightly. Step 4 - Exhale Breathe out with resistance (as if blowing through a straw). Keep your head up and your shoulders relaxed, but do not relax your your butt and belly until you've finished exhaling. Technorati tag: Oxycise gimmick diet craze

Carver One Three-Wheeled Vehicle

Ever since I first saw a picture of this vehicle, I knew I needed one. Here are some of the details about this very cool trike from the Carver site: "The design layout for the Carver One incorporates an extremely safe and enclosed ‘monocoque’ driving structure for both the driver and passenger, with the passenger's seat behind the driver, similar to a fixed wheel 'trike'. The Carver One interior is fitted out like a sports car and includes sports car seats with safety belts and a sports steering wheel. It is steered like a car, but when cornering it banks like a motorcycle or an airplane. The Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC™) system automatically adjusts the tilt angle, ensuring the optimum balance at all times, resulting in an agile but safe, stable and comfortable platform. The thrill of this tilting capability combined with the inherent handling of a sports car, makes for an exhilarating driving experience." - Press Release The Carver One is getting set to enter the US market and it will make its first US appearance in New Hampshire - June of this year. This vehicle sure beats (by leaps and bounds) becoming a member of the Moped Army - which is probably more in my price range. Technorati tag: carver one trike vehicle

Exploding Peeps!

As I have noted before, marshmallow peeps are my favorite "food." However, they also make for interesting and amusing toys. The wise ones over at the PeepBlog have found a great way to make their peeps explode in the microwave. I may have to forgo the bite of marshmallowy goodness and start playing with my food. Before: After: Technorati tag: marshmallow peeps food

Meeting of the minds

The Day of Fools has come and almost gone and the pre-planned meeting did in fact take place, happily I might add. The only strange thing about it was that it almost seemed that the many years that have in fact truly passed didn't seem to matter. We talked and talked as if we had only left off the conversation last week. I am now a bit older, and hopefully a little wiser, but Charles is still the same fascinating person he had been those years ago. I very much enjoyed catching up with him on all the things that have happened since we last spoke and hopefully not as many years will pass this time until we get to speak again. There are times in our life that a trip down memory lane only ends in a crash - this, gratefully, was not one of those. Technorati tag: memories