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29 March 2008

How to lower the pain at the pump

Some tricks to getting the most value per gas dollar

"People are scared. It's hitting them right in the wallet," says Jason Toews, co-founder of gasbuddy.com, an online gasoline information site. "A number of people tell me their gas bill is more than their car payment. That's a foreign concept to a lot of folks."

Gasoline hit a record $3.28 a gallon last Sunday. Drivers in California pay more than $3.63 a gallon on average, and motorists in Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii on average all pay more than $3.40 a gallon.

But there are some things you can do to get the most out of the gas in your car's tank.

(More via Right On Your Money)

13:29 Posted in Money , Transportation , Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: gas, money, vehicles, cheap, tricks

Prison Vocabulory

Common prison terms and some other unusual prison tidbits

Keister Bunny -- The person packing his ass. This term isn't reserved for the people bringing the contraband into the place either. Many inmates keep their anal cavities packed as it is the last place correction's officers usually search for banned substances and items. The announcement of "Full-Body Cavity Searches" sent most of the bunnies scrambling from the day-room with the quickness.

Rollie -- A rolled tobacco cigarette. When papers aren't available the note section of state-issue Bibles are the usual substitute. Individual rolls of toilet paper are also encased in a waxy form of paper which could also be used. A rollie generally ran you from a $1 to a $1.50 worth of canteen.

Dry-Snitch -- Someone who rats another person out unintentionally or through more clever means. For instance...Picture two men about to get into it over a bad tobacco transaction. They head to a location where the beef can be handled. One of these inmates begins running his mouth, calling out the other inmate, but in such a manner as to draw attention from "The Man". This of course halts the confrontation before it can get ugly.

(More via Felonious Ramblings)

13:24 Posted in Language | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: prison, language, snitch, mule, chow, yard

The Dining Area at Harvard University

Now that is a canteen

Harvard University, canteen, food, dining, massive, spectacular

 

13:17 Posted in Education , Food , Leisure | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this | Tags: Harvard University, canteen, food, dining, massive, spectacular

A barking idea?

Designer unveils lingerie made from wood

A clothes designer is branching out by creating an entire range of eco-underwear - made from wood.

Although the knickers and bras are derived from white pine trees there is no risk of the wearer getting splinters in uncomfortable places as they are as soft as silk.

Fibres are extracted from the tree branches before being spun into a fabric which is then used to make the eco-underwear.

(More via Daily Mail)

13:11 Posted in Fashion , Nature , Women | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: lingerie, bark, wood, fashion, non-toxic, recycled

It is Earth Day today

George Carlin on Saving the Planet - And I agree

12:58 Posted in Life , Nature | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this | Tags: Earth Day, planet, nature, pollution, environment

Steve McQueen and Paul Newman

Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, movies, fire, drama, action, disaster

06:00 Posted in Movies , Steve McQueen | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, movies, fire, drama, action, disaster

Stuff

06:00 Posted in Ads , Art , Comedy , Drink , Food , Invention , Life , Money , Movies , Nature | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: tableware, ads, time, money, movies, Starbucks

Times Square, New York

New York, Times Square, places, window, pedestrians, life
 

There is a new billboard outside Time Square. It keeps an up-to minute count of gun-related crimes in New York. Some goofball is going to shoot someone just to see the numbers move. (David Letterman)

06:00 Posted in Places | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: New York, Times Square, places, window, pedestrians, life

Switchback (1997)

The hunter is tracking the killer. But the killer is setting the trap.



Switchback movie info



Soundtrack

Composed by Basil Poledouris

Released: 2000

Label: Intrada Records (Sold out - may be available at other online specialty stores)

action, mystery, thriller, drama, serial killer, hunt

06:00 Posted in Movie Trailers , Movies , Music , Soundtracks | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: action, mystery, thriller, drama, serial killer, hunt

What is a Diner?

Come on in and find out

A true "diner" is a prefabricated structure built at an assembly site and transported to a permanent location for installation to serve prepared food. Webster's Dictionary defines a diner as "a restaurant in the shape of a railroad car." The word "diner" is a derivative of "dining car" and diner designs reflected the styling that manufacturers borrowed from railroad dining cars. A diner is usually outfitted with a counter, stools and a food preparation or service area along the back wall. Decommissioned railroad passenger cars and trolleys were often converted into diners by those who could not afford to purchase a new diner.

How Diners began?

The origins of the diner can be traced to Walter Scott, a part-time pressman and type compositor in Providence, Rhode Island. Around 1858 when Scott was 17 years old he supplemented his income by selling sandwiches and coffee from a basket to newspaper night workers and patrons of men's club rooms. By 1872 business became so lucrative that Scott quit his printing work and began to sell food at night from a horse-drawn covered express wagon parked outside the Providence Journal newspaper office. In doing so, Walter Scott unknowingly inspired the birth of what would become one of America's most recognized icons -- the diner.

(More via American Diner Museum)


Other Diners:

Diners: Still cookin' in the 21st Century

Rhode Island: The Diner's birthplace

Eddie Rocket's City Diner

The All American Diner

The Diner's Ten Commandments

A clip from Diner (the movie)

06:00 Posted in Culture , Drink , Food , Places | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: diners, food, culture, hangouts, friends, movies

The X-Files

What is the new movie about?

X-Files, TV, aliens, science fiction, FBI, mystery"The X-Files" ended its run on Fox six years ago, but its writers and producers can still grouse about working on the show like it was yesterday.

The Paley Festival session on the long-running hit series featured a dozen members of the cast and crew. The overall theme of the evening was that working "The X-Files" was very hard. In terms of news value, the panel was trapped in an “X-Files”-esque netherworld: The TV show is yester-decade's news, while this summer's new "X-Files" movie is of very high interest. Yet creator Chris Carter is naturally unwilling to give any spoilers. The panel moderator -- Variety deputy editor Cynthia Littleton -- is thus charged with the tricky task of either asking about a series that's been endlessly discussed, or asking about a movie that cannot be discussed. Plus, charismatic leads David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson did not attend. So, again, tricky.

Luckily,some fine nuggets were nonetheless unearthed about the movie, those controversial final seasons, dealing with Fox censors and the bizarre "X-Files" 9/11 connection.

(More via 2008 Paley Festival)

06:00 Posted in Movies , Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: X-Files, TV, aliens, science fiction, FBI, mystery

Tech Support

06:00 Posted in Cell/Phone , Home , Web , Work | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: cell phone, windows, media player, computer, pictures, PDF

28 March 2008

School

school, education, youth, children, books, study
 

Bear in mind that the wonderful things you learn in your schools are the work of many generations. All this is put in your hands as your inheritance in order that you may receive it, honor it, add to it, and one day faithfully hand it on to your children. (Albert Einstein)

06:00 Posted in Children , Education , Youth | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: school, education, youth, children, books, study

Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal?

Study shows this to be true

The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in exclusively heterosexual men who admitted negative affect toward homosexual individuals. Participants consisted of a group of homophobic men (n = 35) and a group of nonhomophobic men (n = 29); they were assigned to groups on the basis of their scores on the Index of Homophobia (W. W. Hudson & W. A. Ricketts, 1980). The men were exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual, and lesbian videotapes, and changes in penile circumference were monitored. They also completed an Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992). Both groups exhibited increases in penile circumference to the heterosexual and female homosexual videos. Only the homophobic men showed an increase in penile erection to male homosexual stimuli. The groups did not differ in aggression. Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.

(via NCBI)

06:00 Posted in Lifestyle , Men , Sex , Women | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: homosexuals, homophobia, study, sexual, arousal, lesbian

Reznor vs. Radiohead

Which band is really blazing the trail of innovation?

Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have been taking turns giving the music industry the finger. The British band made headlines last October for releasing In Rainbows without the support (read: control) of a record label, and Trent Reznor's group followed suit with last month's Ghosts I-IV.

The two bands have also been busy one-upping each other with their innovative promotion strategies. We were tempted to let the groups coexist peacefully at the forward edge of digital distribution until Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor accused Radiohead of betraying fans by selling them low-quality files. In light of Reznor's accusations, we put together a 10-round, voting-enabled smackdown to find out which band is really blazing the trail of innovation.

(More via Wired)

06:00 Posted in Music , Web | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: music, downloads, digital format, cost, videos, revenue

Stuff

06:00 Posted in Children , Interesting , Language , Life , Music , People , Places , Rants , Religion , Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: greetings, music, playgrounds, Darwin, language, religion

Fitna the Movie

Geert Wilders' film about the Quran

Warning: Contains graphic images

06:00 Posted in Culture , Life , Lifestyle , People , Places , Religion , Women | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Koran, Islam, terrorism, Jihad, gays, women

Steve McQueen and Natalie Wood

Love With The Proper Stranger

Steve McQueen, Natalie Wood, drama, romance, movies, Hollywood

 

06:00 Posted in Movies , Steve McQueen | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Steve McQueen, Natalie Wood, drama, romance, movies, Hollywood

Japan for the uninvited

Japanese culture from a bemused foreign perspective

Issei Sagawa, the celebrity cannibal

Japan, culture, oddities, cannibal, watermelons, smells, drinks“The public has made me the godfather of cannibalism, and I am quite happy about that.”

In 1981, at the age of 32, Issei Sagawa leapt to infamy for a cannibal murder the Japanese call Pari jinniku jiken (The Paris Human Flesh Incident). When captured, he was found mentally unfit to stand trial, and sent home amidst suggestions that his wealthy family were able to secure special treatment for him. After a year in a mental hospital, Japan’s most gruesome celebrity was free.

Shikaku Suika (Square watermelons)

Mmm… delicious watermelon. The only problem with watermelons is that they’re much too impractical. Personally, I’dJapan, culture, oddities, cannibal, watermelons, smells, drinks eat nothing but watermelon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, if only they weren’t so darned round and ungainly. Once again, the Japanese have the solution.

In the 1980s, a farm in Shikoku started doing things differently. By growing watermelons in specially-made glass boxes, they forced the melons into a cubic shape. Leaping to worldwide attention, the square watermelon became a potent symbol of Japan’s appetite for novelty and innovation. The foreign media were captivated with Japan’s latest technological oddity, so much so that they greatly exaggerated the popularity of the square melons. In fact, the market for the succulent cubes is very small indeed, partly because they are prohibitively expensive, costing at least 10,000 yen (around £50 or $100).

(via)

06:00 Posted in Culture , Japan | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Japan, culture, oddities, cannibal, watermelons, smells, drinks

College Students You Hate

Meet Captain Outrage and Entitled White Male

college, assholes, friends, jobs, business, networkingMost people think college is just a machine where you feed 50,000 dollars into a giant contraption, and, with any luck, escape with a piece of paper and Facebook albums that will eventually bar you from holding any kind of public office. While this is entirely true, earning a degree brings nothing but the pain of a justified sense of entitlement being doused by the urine of economic reality: there's a lot of great jobs out there, but you're not going to get them.

Now before you start complaining about this injustice, remember that your bleak future is entirely your fault for not being born into a family that runs a successful business with mob ties and many mysterious openings. Yes, fate has dealt you a shit hand, and all of the time you spend complaining can be put to better use by learning one of the many "street crafts" like 3-card Monte or trying to fall into the right kind of acid to turn yourself into a supervillain. In the end, it's the friends you make that are the most valuable treasures to take away from 4 years in college, unless you happen to rob the University's trophy room. But while friendships, networking, and connections can aid you greatly in your post college years, all of your classes will unfortunately be full of assholes.

(via Something Awful)

06:00 Posted in Education | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: college, assholes, friends, jobs, business, networking

The Cleaner (2007)

Solving a crime can be dirty work

A former cop who now earns a wage as a crime scene cleaner unknowingly participates in a cover-up at his latest job. (IMDB)

The Cleaner is not the best of mysteries, but it is involving nonetheless. Small in stature, Cleaner has a film noir quality that makes the film watchable. It starts of very well but soon becomes predictable. The script and direction are lackluster efforts and Cleaner loses a lot because of these faults. Director Renny Harlin, in a switch of pace from his gutsy, action films, tries his hand at a low key, character driven film. And fails. Harlin was not the man for this project. The script by Matthew Aldrich has that film noir quality I spoke of and the dialogue has zest. Yet it does not go the distance to make it tough. The script is rather limp and loses its appeal quickly.

However, it is the acting of Samuel Jackson in the title role and Ed Harris as a cop that gives the film its hook. They are riveting in their performances. They show hints of what the movie could have become with good direction and story.

I give The Cleaner a mild recommendation only for Jackson and Harris. Definitely worth having a look to see these guys in action.

The Cleaner movie info

06:00 Posted in Movies | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: crime, thriller, mystery, police, murder

27 March 2008

The Temple of Forgiveness

To mourn, remember and contemplate

David Best is a well known artist and sculptor that is known for his large scale temples built from temple, burning man, forgiveness, plywood, sculptorscrap plywood and cast off materials used in toy creation. He has created temples at Burning Man since 2000 and has been on hiatus for the last two years, but he has returned in 2007 for what he says is his last temple. Best is known worldwide for his outlandish and complicated work with these temples as well as crafted art cars both at Burning Man and in San Francisco.

(More via A Tall Glass of Shame)

12:47 Posted in Interesting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: temple, burning man, forgiveness, plywood, sculptor

The Love Guru (2008)

His karma is huge

Pitka an American raised outside of his country by gurus, returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business. His first challenge: To settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player whose wife left him for a rival athlete.

The Love Guru movie info

12:30 Posted in Movie Trailers , Movies | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: comedy, hocket, love, healing, self-help, romance

Comes A Horseman (1978)

A story of love and freedom

drama, western, romance, 1940s, James Caan, cattle









 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Comes A Horseman movie info


The Soundtrack

Composed by Michael Small

Released: 2008

Label: Intrada Records

drama, western, romance, 1940s, James Caan, cattle

 

12:30 Posted in Movie Trailers , Movies , Music , Soundtracks | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: drama, western, romance, 1940s, James Caan, cattle

Hottest Student Bodies

Top 50 Universities Ranked By Looks

universities, women, looks, cheerleaders, parties, locations

 

12:30 Posted in Education , Women | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: universities, women, looks, cheerleaders, parties, locations

The Tired

homeless, New York, tired, sidewalk, sleep, weak

Give me your tired, your poor,/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,/ The wretched refuse of your teeming shore./ Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,/ I lift my lamp beside the golden door! (Emma Lazarus)

 

06:00 Posted in Life , People | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: homeless, New York, tired, sidewalk, sleep, weak

Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen, movies, war, drama, legend, Hollywood

06:00 Posted in Movies , Steve McQueen | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Steve McQueen, movies, war, drama, legend, Hollywood

Dude, I'm a little worried about this girl I'm seeing

Why is that?

I'm really good at screwing things up? How do you hold on to a girl?

06:00 Posted in Relationships | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: relationships, girls, sleeping, dependent, morning, trick

Smoke On The Water and We Will Rock You

In the traditional Japanese style - very nice



06:00 Posted in Japan , Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: rock, music, Japan, traditional instruments, classics

Japanese Gravestones Memorialize the Dead

Bar codes on gravestones contain videos and photos of the deceased

gravestones, codes, videos, photos, Japan, familyQR codes are practically everywhere in Japan nowadays, but here’s a unique take on the technology: Japanese gravestone maker Ishi no Koe ("Voice of the Stone") recently announced plans to begin selling gravestones with the two-dimensional bar codes embedded into them.

By simply snapping a shot of the tag with their cellphones, visitors will be able to view photos, videos and other information about the deceased. The device would also keep a log of each time the code was scanned so family members can keep up to date with when other relatives last visited the site.

In the future, Ishi no Koe hopes to use this technology to develop a new way to pay respect to the dead that wouldn't require you to actually be at the cemetery in person. The company sees this as an alternative especially fitting for today’s younger generation.

(via Wired)

06:00 Posted in Invention , Life , People | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: gravestones, codes, videos, photos, Japan, family

Stuff

06:00 Posted in Children , Comedy , Invention , Movies , Music , People , Places , Education , Sports , Television , Toys , Youth | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: movies, baseball, toys, comedy, Poland, bullying, sports

The Accidents of Youth

Warn them of the Many Dangers to which they are Exposed.

MY DEAR CHILDREN,

THE inexperience and thoughtlessness natural at your age exposes you to any dangers : I have therefore pointed out some of them in this book, which contains several instructive little histories, in which you will behold the misfortunes that arise from disobedience and want of thought. When your parents desire you not to climb upon the chairs, or touch the fire, or play with knives, or pins, it is not because they wish to prevent you amusing yourselves ; they are only anxious to keep you from harm. If you were allowed to do whatever you pleased, many accidents would happen through your own indiscretion : for instance, when climbing on the furniture you might fall, and break a leg or an arm; and might burn yourselves, by playing with fire ; or cut your fingers, by playing with knives ; or might swallow pins, in putting them into your mouth. Thus, you see you might often lame or kill yourselves, if your good mamma or papa did not guard most of your actions.

(More via Internet Archive)

06:00 Posted in Books , Children , Health , Home , Youth | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: children, warnings, harm, health, home, fire, life

Welcome to Planet Earth: Population 0

This is what our world would look like without people

The images were created to illustrate what would happen if human life ceased tomorrow, if, for whatever reason, mankind was obliterated.

The question it raises is: how long would the remnants of our civilisation remain?

(via Daily Mail)