Hi all, I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween weekend over which you found yourselves making good decisions and correct choices across the board. I thought close out the week with a list of my top five favorite* costumes from yesterday:
5. The kids from LAIRE**: If you haven’t seen Role Models, it’s worth it just for the final battle
4. Holy Cow: A cow costume, complete with angel wings and a halo. Smart, right? I mean… I thought it was, you know, clever…. God, I’m lame.
3. Greenman: I saw a number of people in the now iconic green spandex wreaking havoc wherever they went. Upon further consideration, I felt as though my behavior might have eclipsed theirs should I have ever donned the suit. If you were wondering, you can buy your very own Greenman costume for begreenman.com.
2. Tommy Pickles: That’s right, folks. Imagine a large, hairy man dressed in nothing but an adult diaper and a baby blue t-shirt. Yeah, I wasn’t mad about it either.
1. Hot Dog Dog: I saw a short-haired daschund dressed up as a hot dog and burst out laughing in the middle of the street. Seriously, I couldn’t contain myself. He wins the 2009 costume contest.
For those of you who were wondering, I dressed up as Where’s Waldo? Needless to say I spent the entire evening being stopped in the street by strangers who would then proceed to scream “I FOUND YOU. Hey guys! Come here, I found Waldo!” Did anyone else see or have good costumes?
* An honorable mention goes to my contributing blogger Nick Wing. He got himself some skinny jeans and a really good wig and rocked DC as Aldous Snow– Russell Brand’s character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
GQ has put out a highly amusing and surprisingly accurate list that purports to expose America’s 25 douchiest institutions of undergraduate study*. In compiling the list, GQ has named the specific subtype of douchiness of which the college is guilty, the symptoms caused by said type of douchitude, what douchey things graduates will be doing 10 years from now, and other institutions that deserve mention within a particular category of douchiness– for example, though UVA wins top honors for home of the ‘blue-blazer [southern country-club] douche’, it is undeniable that Sewanee and Vanderbuilt merit recognition under that heading.
Now, my plan had been to find a good picture of a douchebag on google end the post there. If you go ahead and type ‘douchebag’ into Google, however, you’ll understand when I say that some of the stuff I ran across was just too good not to share with you:
Here’s an article from a local paper called B that outlines the anatomy of the a douchebag on differing degrees along the douchebag spectrum. For a little context, Baltimore is not only home to little old me, but also a veritable cesspool of extreme douchebags. The city breeds them. I hypothesize that this is due to the fact that its Mid-Atlantic location makes it a centralized meeting place for all manner of douchery– from those who still have lawn jockeys and claim the Confederate flag is just an expression of regional pride, to those who summer anywhere (‘the Vineyard’ or Nantucket, more often then not), to the New Jersey guido, to Baltimore’s own Lax Brah.’ If you think I’m off the mark, though, then please feel free to share your theories with me.
Las Vegas, so troubled by the current economic situation, actually launched a marketing campaign that celebrates the douchebag. I kid you not. If you score high enough on the douchebag quiz, they give you coupons. In true douchebag fashion, the posterboy for the initiative has a particularly douchey MySpace page. Yeah. MySpace.
OfficialDatingResource.com** terms douchebaggery a medical condition. It has a full write up of causes, symptoms, and treaments for Douchebag Syndrome, WebMD style***.
*As an avid Tar Heels fan, I particularly love that the feature claims that though Duke deserves the number one Douche spot, they didn’t want to make Duke number one at anything.
** I didn’t know anyone needed an official dating resource, but hey, should that need arise, I guess we’re all covered.
*** I don’t want to be sexist, so here is OfficialDatingResource.com’s write up on Princess syndrome, the affliction that they claim to be the female equivalent of douchebaggery.
Today, tweedle dee tweedle dom got it’s 500th visitor. It’s not much in the real internet world, but I feel like it marks some kind of milestone. Anyway, I was looking for a video that might be appropriate for a 500th anniversary. I didn’t find any. But I did find this– and its both completely irrelevant and really, really cute:
That clip subsequently led me to this one. I wasn’t mad about it. I don’t think anyone who clicks it will be mad about it either.
So thanks. And enjoy.
P.S. Just a bit of advice– never, ever look up puppies on YouTube if you have things to accomplish in the foreseeable future.
In February of this year, Hyundai motor company unveiled the Equus, a $60,000 full-size luxury sedan designed as a competitor to such flagship models as BMW’s 7-series, Mercedes-Benz’s S-Class, Audi’s A8, and the Lexus LS. The Equus became available in South Korea on March 11, but it remained unclear whether or not the car would ever be marketed in America. Recent speculation suggests that it will—reports have been circulating that the 2011 Equus model will hit the US in July of next year.
Obviously, Hyundai wants to enter the luxury market. And honestly, that’s all fine and dandy with me–they’d hardly be the first Asian automaker to do so. In fact, the big Japanese companies have done this extremely well. Toyota, Nissan, and, to a lesser extent, Honda, all managed to sneak into the luxury club by promising premium vehicles equal in quality and lower in price than their German counterparts. They’ve delivered on that promise, consistently giving its consumers a meticulously engineered product that’s technically on par with–and often more reliable than the likes of Mercedes, Audi, and BMW.
Hyundai has largely stuck to the formula. Last year, it made its first foray into the luxury sector when it introduced Genesis, so named because it’s supposedly the first of many Hyundai luxury cars. It’s priced at a manageable base of $33k for the V6 model and $38k for the V8–about $10,000 less than comparable cars. They’ve held up on the quality front too. The car’s features and performance testify that Hyundai is more than capable of producing a top-of-the-line ride. The Genesis has received critical acclaim and was named Consumer Report’s top luxury car, Cars.com’s new car of the year, and crowned 2009 North American Car of the Year.
To this I say: Good for you, Hyundai. So you can build a sweet ride. Great. I still think your company’s luxury move monumentally idiotic. Why? It’s not because I doubt the quality of their product. Quite the opposite– I think that I’d recommend a Genesis over a Mercedes E class, any day. It’s because in trying for luxury success, Hyundai has forgotten who they are.
What comes to mind when you think about Hyundai? Despite evidence to the contrary, I still think ‘crappy economy cars for people on a budget’. There are countless examples of such stigmas attached to particular automakers, and what’s more, these stigmas are hard to shake. Think about Buick. Most people immediately think ‘old peoples’ car’, right? Well, in an effort to change that, Buick hired Tiger Woods as the brand’s young and freshfaced spokesperson:
After a nine year endorsement, and millions upon millions of advertising dollars, we’re all still thinking that there’s no way that Tiger Woods ever drove a Buick– that car is for old people.
The Japanese companies understood this quite well when they entered the market, and realized that people driving BMW and Mercedes autos were not going to want to drive a Toyota, Nissan, or Honda, no matter the vehicle’s caliber. So what did they do? They launched new brands–Toyota has Lexus, Nissan has Infiniti, and Honda has Acura. Hyundai has…. Hyundai?
Sure enough, Genesis sales in America have been modest–not bad, but modest. Hyundai moved 6,167 in the first five months of sale, and since then has sold about 2,000 more. So what does Hyundai do? Why, it puts out another, bigger luxury car, of course. Never mind that in the present economy, most other automakers are clamoring to downsize their product lineup. Aston-Martin, for example, recently proposed Cygnet, a $33k SMARTcar sized concept which is likely to enter production. Genesis is already equivalent in size to a Lexus LS. Now consider that Equus will be even larger- sized at what can only be described as positively monstrous. Hyundai, just as easily, could have spent money on developing a new brand, or focused their attentions on the sales of the smaller, sportier Genesis Coupe.
Between 2004-2006 in America, Volkswagen marketed the Phaeton, a full size sedan which, like Equus, was designed to compete with the 7 Series, S-Class, A8 and the like. The Phaeton was critically acclaimed, beautifully engineered, quality-controlled, and a complete failure. Why? Because people looking to spend $75,000 on a car didn’t want to drive a Volkswagen. Mazda’s Amati brand didn’t even make it into production. Even Infiniti, a well-established luxury brand, discontinued production of it’s flagship sedan, the Q45, because it couldn’t hack it in the American market.
That said, Hyundai needs to wake up and realize that, sad as it is, America is not a society in which quality or even reputation can trump brand image. If the behemoth hits the showrooms next July and they still think that luxury consumers are going to spend $60,000 on a Hyundai, they’ve got another thing coming.
Today is my father’s 50th birthday, and though I try my best to keep the spectacularly dull details of my personal life out of this blog, I thought that this particular event was an appropriate exception. So, even though I don’t think he reads this, I thought I’d do a post on things that, like him, turn(ed) 50 years old in 2009.
Ben-Hur
Despite my objections to its overtly religious undertones (Its unofficial title is Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ), I can’t deny that this film is a Hollywood institution. It was released in 1959 and won 11 Academy Awards in 1960–a feat to this day equaled only by two other movies, 1997’sTitanic, and 2003’s Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. If you haven’t seen the flick, it’s worth it if only for the chariot race scene which I argue to be one of the sweetest chase scenes in cinema. Learn more here.
LEGO
Until I went to do the research for this post, I had no idea that LEGO was so old. But it is, and believe it or not, the toy has a really rich history. I won’t go into too much detail here but suffice it to say that I learned that there is an annual conference tailored to adult LEGO hobbyists. Furthermore, there is an official list of LEGO ambassadors, and a select few LEGO certified professionals. Yeah. So. I guess that’s…cool…
Alaska
I mean, its worth mentioning. In 1867, America purchased it from the Russians for two cents an acre. In 1959, after numerous administrative changes (from land to organized territory), it finally became the largest state in the union (by area). It’s the least densely populated state (averaging 1 person per square mile), as well as the state with the highest male:female ratio (1.7:1). In areas outside the cities, this ratio can get as high as 5:1. It’s also about 7o% caucasian. So basically, because of Alaska, Sarah Palin and a bunch of white dudes living in isolation are proud to call themselves Americans.
In all seriousness though, Alaska’s dramatic landscape and biodiversity is without comparison. If you’re interested in going, there are opportunities for all kinds of travelers, from crunchy backpackers to resort-types. If you guys like to ski, you should make it a life-goal to go to Alyeska. It’s sweet.
Mini
From its iconic British roots to BMW’s classy modern reinterpretation of the 1959 original, this is one of the most adorable cars ever put on the market. Interestingly, it’s the first car to be developed primarily as a fuel saver– it was originally launched in response to the fuel shortage caused by the 1954 Suez Crisis. What is the 1954 Suez Crisis? Uh, beats me.
Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue
If you want to lead a happy and fulfilled life, you will go listen to this album, immediately. I’m not joking. Really, I’m not.
The St. Lawrence Seaway
The Seaway is is system of canals and locks that follows the St. Lawrence River between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The stretch of river has long been used for shipping, but legal, political, and logistical issues between the United States and Canada, building wasn’t approved until 1954. The seaway opened in 1959, having racked up a total cost of $470 million. 75% was payed for by the Canadian government, and 25% by the Americans. The two countries collaborated in the seaway’s formal opening, for which Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower took a short cruise aboard Royal Yacht Britannia after having delivered a joint address in St. Lambert, Quebec.
I’ll end by saying that it’s difficult to convey the connection that the Québecois feel with the St. Lawrence. Understand, though, that there is a deep and almost intrinsic cultural reverence for it. My father, born and raised in Montreal, is no exception– he loves the St. Lawrence so much that he often refers to it as “mon fleuve”, or my river. Seeing as it’s his birthday and all, I thought it fitting to finish with that.
My favorite digital guru– one Ms. Christen Mitchell– has posted the following video in her blog:
It’s a poignant and relevant overview of technology’s evolution and makes an excellent argumentas to why we should embrace digital connectivity. Read more of what Christen has to say here.
In the spirit of staying connected, I thought I’d remind you that you can follow me on Facebook or on Twitter. And keep coming back here, of course.
In today’s day and age, it is an understatement to say that we have a wealth of information at our fingertips. Need something to eat within walking distance? Urbanspoon or Yelp! can help. Trying to buy a car? Cars.com provides specs, reviews, tips, and personalized comparative analysis for most automotive models… ever. Reading The Great Gatsby? Here are the SparkNotes. Need to know about something about small-scale American chicken breeders? One google search and voila, you’ve got yourself a directory of hatcheries by U.S. state. For pretty much any question a person could fathom, there is an online answer and his or her disposal– Pie easy.
This phenomenon, however, is largely based on necessity. This is to say that, when someone wants a piece of information, they make an effort to collect it and then move on with their lives. What people pay less attention to is that internet’s vast repository of knowledge affords us the opportunity to educate ourselves. This in mind I’m going to go ahead and speak to the general awesomeness (not mention time-wasting capacity) of the Wikipedia Adventure.
So what exactly is a Wikipedia Adventure? Well, as you know, every Wiki article has a number of internal links to other wikipedia articles. For example, say you needed to look up Anne of Denmark for a project. The first sentence of her article reads as follows:
You become curious… what exactly is a queen consort? You click on the link to find out. From “queen consort”, you click on “succession laws”, which brings you to King John I, the Posthumous, which brings you to a list of the shortest reigning monarchs of all time. And so goes the Wikipedia Adventure
Now, I know for a fact that I’m not the only person to have done this, and odds are, you’ve been on your fair share of Wikipedia Adventures in your time as an internet user– so why am I telling you all of this? For a few reasons:
To reaffirm the fact that we Wikipedia Adventurers are not alone.
To give a commonplace activity an official title. Next time you waste three hours surfing Wikipedia, you can justify it by saying that you went on a Wikipedia Adventure of epic proportions. Sort of.
To champion the idea of self-education. The thing I love about Wikipedia Adventures is that even though you’re probably wasting time and diverting your attention from things that you really should be doing, at least you’re learning something. Sure, Wikipedia is not the end-all be-all of information sources, but, in terms of intellectually furthering yourself, going on a three hour Wikipedia adventure beats the shit out of watching three back to back episodes of VH1’s Rock of Love.
So to finish up, here are a few tips on improving your Wikipedia Adventure experience:
Start your adventure on the Wikipedia’s main page. Here you’ll find excellent fodder for your journey updated daily. This includes a featured article, a current news feed, a picture of the day, a “Did You Know?” section, and a review of “on this day in history”
After you’ve completed your adventure, use your newly acquired Wikipedia knowledge in conversation. This will increase the chance that you retain this information in the long-term. After all, you never know when you’ll need to whip out your understanding of serial killer psychology, or the fact that France’s Capetian dynasty ruled the country for over 800 years.
Give yourself a time limit, and stick to it. As much as I love this activity, it’s not something we can reasonably afford to do every day for hours at a time. An egg timer can help here.
Finally, I cannot, in good conscience, write this without talking about the Wikipedia game. Here’s how you play: 1. Find a friend who’s either really bored, or has the patience to humor you. 2. Pick two topics that are completely unrelated, for example wind farms and Fight Club, the novel. 3. Using only Wikipedia links, connect the two. The winner can be judged either by time (personal best: Bill Clinton to cheese in 28.3 seconds), or by number of clicks (personal best: osteoarthritis to My Little Pony in 4 links).
The only reason this came to mind is because at the bottom of this posting form, one has the option to attach labels to a blog entry. The precise wording of the form fill is
Labels for this post:
e.g. scooters, vacation, fall
Now, in the context of a blog, I can wrap my mind around a vacation as an exemplary label. I can even understand the suggestion to label posts seasonally. The reason for which scooters were included in this list, however, is beyond my realm of comprehension. It may be than my so-called realm of comprehension is somewhat narrower than necessary to fully grasp the addition of scooter to this list, but more likely than not, I’m guessing that no one, particularly not the creators of Blogger, ever really expected me (or anyone) to take issue with these examples.
But I did. So obviously, I went and distracted myself from writing my thesis to research scooters and, in doing so, I discovered a number of interesting things
1. Upon googling ‘scooter wiki’, i found not the listing for scooter in wikipedia, but rather an actual website: http://www.scooterwiki.com. This is your one-stop resource for all things scooter and scooter-like. There is a scooter encyclopedia, editable by registered users, much like the real wikipedia. There are blogs and forums. There are scooter dealer resources through which dealers can list their products in a directory, or moderate recall logistics in a forum. scooterwiki.com. Who knew.
2. There is a scooterwiki competitor called, wouldn’t you know, the scooterwiki. I did not explore this but you can. And to top all off, there is also a wiki for kick scooters. The website describes itself as “A newly created but growing wiki devoted to human-powered kick scooters.” FYI: a ‘kick scooter’ is essentially a razor– that goofy thing that was really cool back in the 7th grade.
3. A Vespa will run you anywhere from $3-7k and can reach speed of 80 mph. 80. Also, they get between 65-90 mpg. So legit.
4. According to the real Wikipedia, besides the aforementioned motorized and kick scooters, These are among the things to which “scooter” can also refer:
Knee scooter, a mobility device for patients with leg injuries
Personal water craft, jetski a type of recreational watercraft
Diver Propulsion Vehicle, an item of diving equipment used by scuba divers to increase their range while underwater
Phil ‘the Scooter’ Rizzuto, famous baseball player,
Scooter Libby Jr.
Scooter the Muppet
Scooter the SpongeBob SquarePants character
Scooter the Talking Baseball, an animated baseball appearing during Fox Sports coverage of Major League Baseball
The Scooter, a giant, fast-moving storm on the planet Neptune
A corruption of the word Scoter; a large black diving duck
A German techno band
A short skirt with attached shorts underneath, also known as a Skort
tweedle dee tweedle dom 