August 2008
July 2008
Watch
He acts like doesn’t care; but he does.
Nucleus accumbens
In the 1950s, Olds and Milner implanted electrodes into the septal area of the rat and found that the rat chose to press a lever which stimulated it. It continued to prefer this even over stopping to eat or drink. This suggests that the area is the ‘pleasure center’ of the brain.
“In order to be creative you have to know how to prepare to be creative.”
– Twyla Tharp
Ed McMahon returns to work as pitchman - CNN.com
Wow. Ed McMahon is certainly not too old or injured to swing for the fences.
The 85-year-old former “Star Search” host is currently embroiled in a lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, two doctors and the owner of a home where he says he fell during a dinner party in March 2007 claiming negligence, battery, elder abuse and...
“The term describes the manner in which our negative feelings are sometimes...”
– Narcissism of small differences
audible.com: | On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Unabridged)
Stephen King’s wonderful On Writing was my Audible pick on today’s MacBreak Weekly. I’m reading it on my Kindle, but Leo says he’s heard and enjoyed the audio version read by the author.
That said, the first part of the “Publisher’s Summary” is too hilarious not to share.
I’d...
Monkeys in space - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thirty-two monkeys flew in the space program; each had only one mission. Numerous back-up monkeys also went through the programs but never flew. Monkeys from several species were used, including rhesus monkeys, cynomolgus monkeys, and squirrel monkeys, as well as pig-tailed macaques.
You really have to feel for all the “back-up...
MILBs
VOTE: You Look Nice Today for Hottest Mommy Blogger
Unless it involves kissing, standing still, or consuming drinks with swords in them, the Talent of You Look Nice Today don’t normally believe in contests. We also don’t ordinarily believe in any voting that requires you to provide your birthday in order to cast your ballot. That’s exactly the kind of shit we kicked Russia’s ass for in Red...
Midomi Test: Featuring John Roderick of The Long Winters
Here’s the full tally:
Midomi Test
And here’s a full-band version of “Pushover”
The Long Winters - “Pushover” - Live @ Easy Street Records WS
“Brand-building is not about spam and not about exchanging links. (It’s...”
– Me, from a wide-ranging interview in advance of my Connect keynote next week. Got to talk about a lot of stuff I care about. Nice job, Glenn.
Last Word for a While on Loopt
[Recap: First I asked this and then I said this and then I ranted this and recently I said this.]
How can I never receive another Loopt SMS invitation ever?
(Long comment full of strong detective work by Kathryn)
Kathryn delivers a stunning rain of questions from real-world testing against The Ridiculous Loopt Problem. Which apparently is still alive and well, despite Loopt’s Happy Fun...
“Can’t decide whether to try to apologize to everyone whose butt I pinched...”
– Wil Shipley
JHONNY GARCIA Part III
[earlier] and [then]
...
Best Practices
From the site of the CSCA — the group that grants and administers the shortcodes used in SMS messaging.
From their “Best Practices” page:
Get Permission
It is vital to respect a wireless subscriber’s right to privacy. ALWAYS gain permission from the people you plan to engage by employing an opt-in procedure.
Gaining permission saves money....
3 tags
The Loopt SMS Mess
[previously, on Kung Fu Grippe]
I have a post underway for 43 Folders on this Loopt.com SMS invite mess. I’m letting the post season for a day or three while I do some necessary fact-checking and try to verify the details of what sounds like a very confusing piece of GUI in the Loopt iPhone app which apparently makes it trivially — even accidentally — easy to send SMS invitation spam to ...
Spit-take
A spit-take is a comedic technique in which someone spits a beverage out of his or her mouth when he or she reacts to a statement during a take. In a spit-take, the reaction is usually one of surprise. Danny Thomas is sometimes credited with popularizing its use in comedy.
Don’t miss the copious examples.
God, I love wikipedia.
1 tag
“Reputation, Posterity and Cool are traps. They’ll drain the life from your...”
– Patton Oswalt’s commencement address at his old high school in VA. Read the whole thing; it’s really good.
Coding around Internet Explorer is like planning a meal for someone who’s allergic to eating.
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: E-mail Addresses It Would Be Really Annoying to Give Out Over the Phone.
Still always makes me laugh.
MikeUnderscore2004@yahoo.com
MikeAtYahooDotCom@hotmail.com
Mike_WardAllOneWord@yahoo.com
AAAAAThatsSixAs@yahoo.com
One1TheFirstJustTheNumberTheSecondSpelledOut@hotmail.com
Previously.
My Grand Central number (which, like...
“But what about the hearings on North Korea in which he made repeated references...”
– Christopher Hitchens, sharing an anecdote about the recently deceased cracker and national stain, Sen. Jesse Helms.
“So, like, let me get this straight. God got this lady pregnant and made her have...”
– Overheard at the Beach (via glass)
“These women are shining a light for thousands of Midwestern teenagers who aspire...”
– The Straightener in “Jezebelism” on MetaFilter.
