The Gordo Blogga

Dates on the cheap

2008-08-01T15:25:00.000-04:00

A handy list next time you're trying to figure out where to take a (prospective) girlfriend out.

Props to Canada for encouraging saving

2008-03-04T00:46:00.000-05:00

Canada introduced a new type of savings account - you can deposit up to $5000 a year into an investment account and you won't pay any taxes on investment returns. In the age of profligacy I give Canada props for having a long view and trying to encourage saving, rather than spending.

"Ancient bat flew without 'sonar'"

2008-02-15T01:33:00.000-05:00

Disappointingly little is said of why it makes a difference whether flight or sonar developed first, but an interesting article nonetheless. Perhaps a good starting point for further personal research into the possible impacts of this find - someone must have a good explanation of why this is important. I hope it's not just because "it's cool" - that would be slightly disappointing.

YouTube - How to Build an Igloo

2008-02-10T02:50:00.000-05:00

Great video shot by the government of Canada back in 1949 of Unuit building an igloo. I so wanna build one!!

"McCain surges ahead in primaries"

2008-02-05T23:24:00.000-05:00

Go McCain!!

Venice Carnival

2008-01-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

Wow, OK... I am so tempted. Tickets are actually not that bad ($700). Maybe next year... :-)

Surviving (and thriving) on $12,000 a year

2007-11-26T00:44:00.000-05:00

Props! Seems slightly unnecessary as having to work so hard at saving money is energy expending; precious energy that could be better spent studying or having fun (also known as stress reduction for those who need a good excuse). After all that's what loans are for. However, definitely points for trying.

Some of the spin seems unecessary (are you really thriving, and if you are why are you planning to do this just temporarily, i.e. until you finish college), but it is good to explore the possibility of living life differently. I like the general idea, but it's not quite my thing. I do enjoy the finer things in life. And you have to be on a mission in order to force yourself not to be able to. Or just poor I guess; where choice is close enough to smell, but usually just out of reach.

If you were a poor father/mother would you sacrifice the time with your children in order to provide them a better future?

Can money buy happiness?

2007-11-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

Interesting article. To comment later on...

Space causes bacteria mutation

2007-09-26T17:47:00.000-04:00

They sent some salmonella into space and at the same time kept it under the same conditions on Earth (actually, pretty amazing the lengths they went to in order to produce the exact same environment - good science) - the space salmonella mutated and became more virulent. Way too cool!

Persistence against odds

2007-06-26T23:14:00.000-04:00

Let's try this. Ew, it's sour. Maybe if I try again. How about now? Maybe this side will be different? No, maybe if I try again? Now? Let's try again.

I think we've all done this with a few things in our lives up to this point. :-)

Photography links

2007-03-11T16:36:00.000-04:00

I've been interested in photography for a long time, but always on the sidelines. Partially, because of a lack of focus and partially due to lack of time/funds.

I randomly ran into a page listing someone's photo setup (link) and also showcasing a great illustration of how much difference lighting (= good flash) can make (link). So, to avoid random icons on my desktop or bookmarks I will most likely never use I'm posting it on here (which is really one of the purposes of this blog).

Gender perceptions in the modern world

2007-02-18T18:07:00.000-05:00

Generally speaking when I find a fascinating book I add it to my Amazon Wish List. In this case I do not think the book is actually worth obtaining, but I did find the following observation (from the Amazon.com review) fascinating:

"Turkle shows how playing with gender in cyberspace can shape a person's real-life understanding of gender. Especially telling are the examples of the man who finds it easier to be assertive when playing a woman, because he believes male assertiveness is now frowned upon while female assertiveness is considered hip, and the woman who has the opposite response, believing that it is easier to be aggressive when she plays a male, because as a woman she would be considered "bitchy." Without taking sides, Turkle points out how both have expanded their emotional range."

While these observations are by no means universal I do think they reflect some of the unease and inferiority people can feel in their own gender.

"Branson offers $25m climate prize"

2007-02-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

My idol is the business world is Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin empire. A constant maverick he has started a great variety of businesses and always brought something new to whatever field he entered. Once again, he is leading the pack.

Women aroused by male sweat

2007-02-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it cracks me up how big scientific revelations are just plain common sense. Yes, I realize that they somewhat proved it in this experiment, but if we would just stop denying our beastly origins and present nature our existence might become a tad easier.

Saudis and US dropping price of oil to pressure Iran?

2007-02-10T11:36:00.000-05:00

I found this article extremely fascinating!! It shows just how much can go behind the curtains that ordinary people never even know about. The article talks about how US and Saudi Arabia are trying to push the price of oil down in order to starve Iran of cash and force reforms.

"Happy 'Single Awareness' Day"

2007-02-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

Continuing along the line of posts for Valentine's day I found this article hilarious! So, in case you are with that special someone on Feb 14 I wish you a Happy Valentine's day. And in case you are not I wish you a Happy 'Single Awareness' Day. And as always, a Festivus for the rest of us!

Tips for men on buying lingerie

2007-02-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

Not that I am gonna have a chance to indulge in this particular activity this Valentine's but you might!

Fresh Whole Rabbit! on Amazon

2007-02-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

You truly can get anything on Amazon these days as this delicious Fresh Whole Rabbit confirms. Scroll down to read the comments - they are HILARIOUS!! :-)

Penny Arcade comic for your Valentine's

2007-02-10T11:06:00.000-05:00

Well, as usual my blogging is seriously lagging. But I've been collecting links and I'm trying to get organized now so I'm prob gonna flood it with posts. So, starting with a sexy comic for your Valentine's! It's all about the first panel.

Btw, if you're not familiar with Penny Arcade - it's a pretty cool (if not always so funny) comic dedicated to gamers.

Awesome resume tips

2007-01-13T17:39:00.000-05:00

This guide is by far the simplest and most to-the-point resume guide I ever stumbled upon. Hope you find something useful on it as well!

"Ecstasy fears based on 'flawed tests'"

2007-01-07T23:29:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a little while since I updated my blog. I am doing some temp work right now and don't have access to the Internet hence not much Internet trawling is happening right now. But as I was cleaning and organizing my computer I found this oldie-but-goodie.

Not to say that Ecstasy is completely benign, but it goes to show just how much fear-mongering was happening at the time this drug hit it big in Europe and US. It would be nice if research was allowed on all drugs so it can be clearly established what effects drugs have on people so everyone would be able to make informed choices. Seeing as our gov'ts don't deem us adult enough to handle these kinds of decisions they're choosing to ban them and use propaganda in order to make sure they stay banned.

Some day though...

Fascinating protest

2006-11-25T17:45:00.000-05:00

Kristian von Hornsleth, a Danish artist, donates livestock to Ugandan villagers in exchange for them taking up his last name. He aims to illustrate how most of aid to Africa usually comes with various conditionals. Comments from villagers:

"George Sabadu Hornsleth is grateful for the pig he got. “I never had a pig, I was jobless apart from some land,” the 46 year-old said. “Africans adopting European names for gifts—that’s nothing new. We’ve been doing that since colonial times. Why do you think I’m called George?”"

"“We don’t care about his idea, the art. We care about the benefits,” said David Sendulya Hornsleth, 29. “We can have a hundred new names if each brings us further out of poverty.”"

Relationships and kids without marriage?

2006-11-23T23:18:00.000-05:00

Great article exploring the raising popularity of long term relationships over marriage in France.

Yodelizlle

2006-11-15T03:14:00.000-05:00

As only Seinfeld could have said it: "I am speechless. I am without speech."

Have you ever wondered what a modern rap video would look like if it was filmed in Europe with a yodel eurobeat in the background? No? Naturally. Well, here is your chance to find out. I literally watched this entire thing with my mouth wide open, in such shock was I.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1740020579012437351

The group is Slovenian and in case this one video is not enough here are some more links.

Band website: http://www.skutermusic.com/intro.html
German site: http://www.zdravo.eu/videos.html

DEMS win!!

2006-11-08T23:05:00.000-05:00

Well, the people have finally come to their senses. The Dems took both the House and the Senate on Tuesday!! :-) Let's hope they'll actually do something productive with that power!

Also, the ballot measures spoke about how people feel about certain issues. I was pleasantly surprised to find that every state that voted on lifting the minimum wage approved that measure. Also, parental notification was turned down! I was surprised to see that two states (Nevada and Colorado) voted on making marijuana legal and while the measures were soundly defeated in both states it's a victory to see them on the ballot in the first place and to see that 44 and 40% of the voting public said yes! Astounding!!

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/ballot.measures/

Same-sex marriage took a sound beating in every state in which it was voted on. The saddest was in Colorado where "Domestic Partnership" was defeated even though it clearly stayed clear of marriage itself.

"Would legalize domestic partnerships, providing same-sex couples the opportunity to obtain the legal protections and responsibilities granted to married couples under Colorado law. The measure specifies that domestic partnerships are not marriage and do not change the public policy of the state, which defines marriage as only the union of one man and one woman."

C'mon Colorado. Have some tolerance for those who are not just like you! Especially when they are just looking for some of the same legal protection for their partners that everyone else gets.

Morning-after pill to go over the counter?

2006-07-31T15:03:00.000-04:00

Who would've thunk it - your politicians do represent you! The morning-after pill has been stuck in FDA bureaucratic limbo for years now and it seems the only reason it might get approved as a non-prescription drug is because two Democratic senators (Murray and Clinton) are holding up the confirmation of the next FDA chief until a decision is made!

spam plants

2006-07-30T19:16:00.000-04:00

they're... so... beautiful.

also, for a nice selection of some of his other works check out:
http://sympatico-msn-ca.com.com/2300-1026_3-6098545-1.html

"Bush extends landmark Voting Act"

2006-07-27T15:12:00.000-04:00

"Mr Bush said Congress had reaffirmed that all men were created equal"

And hence they should be granted all the same rights, including a right to marry a partner of their choosing and be afforded legal protections under law, just like everyone else.

I guess he forgot to mention that some men are created more equal than others.

Politics up close and personal

2006-07-17T14:34:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, how cool would it be to be able to listen in to some of the conversations between heads of state? Well, now you can. Bush got caught on tape recently having a candid conversation with Blair. This is fascinating stuff. If you have any inclination towards world politics this is priceless!

"Apparently not expecting an open mike to pick up his remarks, Bush told Blair: "See the irony is what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s___ and it's over.""

Of course, it's not as simple as that - there's a reason Iran and Syria are doing this s___. If you can't fight your enemy directly (which they certainly cannot) then use a proxy.

"Pink Floyd legend Syd Barrett dies"

2006-07-12T00:29:00.000-04:00

Fascinating! "Wish you were here" and "Shine on you crazy diamond" were dedicated to him!

Sneaky, sneaky politicians

2006-07-08T12:17:00.000-04:00

It seems that calling a politician sneaky these days is unnecessary - it goes without saying. But here is yet another example of a law that is being promoted for one very noble purpose (it will help stem sex slavery), yet has the teeth to be used for other, not-so-noble and in some ways quite futile means (going after prostitutes or strip clubs).

The only thing that's missing is a catchy name like "The War on Sex Trade" so that we can add it to the growing list of pointless and ridiculous wars with no real end in sight.

New words

2006-07-07T14:45:00.000-04:00

*lol* "himbo" and "drama queen" get officially added to the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary!

Vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer

2006-06-30T01:03:00.000-04:00

Pretty cool stuff. They developed a vaccine against HPV that will eliminate most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts in women.

That's great! What about them boys? Granted, we don't have a cervix. But we're not naturally immune, you know! So, how 'bout it?

And while you're at it how about you rout out some of the other nasties that inhibit the nasty. Or just some of the other nasties, if we're into quantity over quality. I think the Catholic church should donate its endowment towards medical research for this very purpose. "Yea, come to me my flock and be healed!" Now, there's something that'll make you believe. But then they appear stalwart on waiting for the savior.

And hence we come to two men who should be granted sainthood for doing just that - Mr. William Henry Gates III and Warren E. Buffet. Gentlemen, I salute you!

IBM rules!

2006-06-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

I am so impressed by IBM. A lot of our modern electronics were invented or designed by them. For example, micro hard drives (hello Ipods) and using copper in microprocessor design to name but a few, off the top of my head. They've been working on nanodrives for some time (basically microscopic punch cards that would allow for a massive increase in storage). And now they developed a new way to design microprocessors that will boost their processing power by up to 100 fold! This is an awesome breakthrough badly needed to propel our communication and processing networks to the next stage. GO IBM!!

Ha! We all know this one...

2006-06-20T21:03:00.000-04:00

Whether you like to chase or be chased, whether you do it too much or not enough I think everyone can relate to this one (heh, especially the "don't know why" part).

"When I see the mess that I'm drowning in
I know why I'm here, after where I've been
If the truth be told I would have to say
It was worth the price, that I had to pay
Though they break your heart,and make you cry
I can hardly wait 'till the next comes by
I can hardly wait, don't know why, don't know why
For another try, don't know why, don't know why"
- TOO MANY WOMEN - R. ArcusaM. PanzerR. FerroT. Devine
- Perf. by Julio Iglesias

"Norway building 'doomsday vault' to protect seeds"

2006-06-20T00:18:00.000-04:00

Cool!

A different life

2006-06-16T13:21:00.000-04:00

I love BBC for articles like this. See what life is like for 6 different people in a Mumbai slum.

"Queen quotes Groucho at 80th birthday lunch"

2006-06-15T15:04:00.000-04:00

"As Groucho Marx once said 'Anyone can get old -- all you have to do is live long enough." *lol*

Hmmm, I dunno about that...

2006-06-15T00:03:00.000-04:00

So, the story goes that the Ecuadorian coach gave all his players an inspirational story that helped them beat Poland in their first game. The story is available in the link, but basically it's about a family that had enough and was happy, but became rich after a well treated visitor killed their source of income in order to motivate them to better themselves!

That is a terrible story with a terrible moral!

Make love not war!

2006-06-12T14:41:00.000-04:00

"A lost wartime diary by a female doctor that tells of love, loneliness and death on the Ho Chi Minh Trail". But like any other war, it'll be mostly death and loneliness!

Thailand: What a monarchy could be!

2006-06-09T00:29:00.000-04:00

The International Herald Tribune brings us a glimpse into the king's place in Thailand's internal affairs in "Letter from Asia: Honoring a monarch who rules with a whisper".

For all the Paris Hilton fans*

2006-06-08T15:24:00.000-04:00

Paris Hilton moves on to singing with a pop-raggae number. If she makes you gag I'd recommend minimizing the video (it's what you'd expect) - the song is actually not half-bad. And it is definitely way better than the electronica-backed Brittany Murphy video available on the same page.

What is up with everyone and their brother wanting to sing? If at least they were original or new I'd understand it, but when they sing just for the sake of doing it (kinda like releasing a parfume) I am not quite sure I get it.

*I know there's plenty of you out there

From earthquakes to terrorism

2006-06-03T11:09:00.000-04:00

Heh, well it just goes to show you that you can't be safe anywhere. As much as we try to build up our little world and pretend that we're in control the truth is we never are. That truck is coming for you when it's time and that's it. And you'll be gone like that little bug you squished the other day, perhaps not even noticing.

I am beginning to realize that faith can come from utter helplessness and a need for some sense of reason and security. So when no one can offer that where do you turn? Why, to the sky of course.

This would also explain why it is dangerous to take faith (and unfortunately religion) away from people. They will look for it elsewhere and sadly find it in the worst places.

"Royal's secret for long marriages"

2006-06-02T17:38:00.000-04:00

"My mother when I married said you must have separate bathrooms and separate bedrooms. That was the only sure way of keeping a marriage alive because it was an invitation as opposed to just being there and that makes it more romantic."

Novel, but interesting.

Soldier returns winning lottery ticket to owner

2006-05-30T15:21:00.000-04:00

There is goodness in this world and it warms my heart.

Love these lyrics

2006-05-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

When visiting Memphis recently I stopped by Sun Studios (the birthplace of rock n' roll) and grabbed the "The Best of Sun Records Vol 1" CD. There are some great songs on there, but while this one isn't the best I just can't get over these lyrics - awesome!

let me be your little dog
till your big dog comes

let me be your little dog
till your big dog comes

when the big dog gets here
show him what this little puppy done

- Matchbox - Carl Perkins (1955)

"Sex theme park to open in London"

2006-05-25T02:44:00.000-04:00

From what I understand there will be no rides. ;-)) However, "The theme park will include life-sized silicone-made models which visitors can touch to discover erogenous zones." Interesting. I can already envision the scenario: 'C'mon Timmy - touch that breast, but do it quickly - there are a dozen people waiting in line'.

OK, aside from the obvious adolescent jokes this actually looks pretty cool. I'd go if I was visiting London.

Capitalism reaches its ugly hand into art

2006-05-24T00:36:00.000-04:00

A 3-minute skit at the beginning of a play promoting London as a tourist destination has been done in Dublin, Hamburg and now NYC and shortly in Pittsburgh. What a shame!

Having recently witnessed 15-20 minutes of commercials in a Santa Cruz movie theater I must say that this is a disturbing trend. Is nothing sacred? Will no venue be left alone?

What's next? Will paintings start carrying a little corporate logo in the corner to remind everyone that art is dead. Just like TV and films (and recently video games) it has been replaced with lots of light fluff interspersed among commercials.

Serbia and Montenegro in World Cup

2006-05-23T00:33:00.000-04:00

I've been a bit too busy with personal matters to even realize that my country is actually fielding a team to this year's World Cup in Germany. Very exciting.

We're in a group with Argentina and Holland so it'll be tough. But as a fan from back home said (and if you ever lived in Serbia or watched our sports teams in action you'd know it's true): "Knowing our mentality here, it's good we're in a difficult group because if we were with weaker teams, we would be celebrating before the game even started."

"Way of the Horse workshop"

2006-05-20T00:20:00.000-04:00

and i quote: "workshop in which horses teach humans emotional fitness skills"

and if that wasn't brilliant enough: "one begins to see life through the broader vision of a horse"

for more "is this for real?" and "no way!" and "you can't be serious?!" experiences just click the link and enjoy a few good laughs at someone else's expense.

Advice on Improving Relationships

2006-05-19T14:33:00.000-04:00

Even though I got to this article through one of those "Hot on Hotmail" links (which are generally dull at best and moronic at worst) I must admit that there is some sound advice here.

Remember kids - relationships are living entities. They need to be watered and fed every so often.*

*This message has been brought to you by The Gordian Knot Council for Happy and Sustainable Relationships! ;-)

Three Gorges Dam nears completion

2006-05-19T00:02:00.000-04:00

Awesome! Huge infrastructure projects are always cool. This one will provide huge amounts of electricity (85 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year - compare that with 4 billion kilowatt-hours that the Hoover dams produces) and significantly reduce or completely eliminate flooding in the Yangtze river plains. There is also a related project in the works to channel some of the Yangtze river water up to Beijing which is in a fairly arid area and yet growing steadily.

I just don't understand how people (especially Westerners) can bitch about this project. Yes, there are some negatives (huge relocations of people, flooding of some historical artifacts), but the positives are so overwhelming that it would be just plain stupid not to do it.

Now that the West is all developed it is a bit too quick to judge other nations trying to develop. You always hear environmentalists cringing when projects like these are proposed. It's complaints like that which make me lose a lot of respect for the environmental movement. "Oh, save a species, or a forest...". Right, that is after we've buldozed over dozens if not hundreds to provide the base on which this environmentalist sits and yells at others not to do the same.

Hypocrisy is one of the worst sins.

Sex survey findings

2006-05-09T16:48:00.000-04:00

There can never be enough discussion about sex. Here are some findings from a new study with a record number of participants (close to 78k).

Bravo!

2006-04-30T03:36:00.000-04:00

Mexico is close to signing in a new law that would decriminilize posession of most drugs for personal use! Bravo!!

"U.S. Scientists Create Artificial Eyes"

2006-04-28T01:38:00.000-04:00

COOL!

Russia trying to ban sex ed

2006-04-23T20:19:00.000-04:00

As AIDS is starting to spread through Russia a number of western organizations have tried to help stem its rise through sex ed. Leave it to some idiot politicians and the church to try to put a stop to it.

"They even show children how to put on a condom!" she complained.

Oh, the outrage!! I will never really understand the people that run this world and the masses that put them in power. And this goes for pretty much every country in the world today.

Cool exhibitionist blog

2006-04-19T02:33:00.000-04:00

I love how some of the images in this particular gallery are passed through a filter to make them appear painting-like while remaining in b&w. "Cat in the Net" - very cool.

Note1: While not obscene this is not work safe.
Note2: I found this through FleshBot, a semi-commercial blog on all things erotica. All sorts of interesting things come from there. Anyways, in case you hunger for more French exhbitionists they seem to be slowly building up a list. Here is link to this particular post which has links to others, and so on and so forth does the crawl go.
http://www.fleshbot.com/sex/amateur/cat-in-the-net-167830.php

Gerrymandering sucks!

2006-04-18T02:15:00.000-04:00

A good explanation of the impact gerrymandering has on US politics.

The third sex - the rundown

2006-04-06T13:03:00.000-04:00

"There are drag queens, trannies/she-males, and transvestites," Josh says. "Transvestites are generally straight, and use women's clothing as a fetish. Trannies are generally as demur as she-males are exotic, but under both their wigs they've got some of the same 'trapped in the wrong body' feelings. Drag queens are like rental birthday clowns at gay parties. We're not women trapped in male bodies. We're celebrities trapped in normal people's bodies."

Bush - a voice of reason?

2006-03-27T14:56:00.000-05:00

I've been very pleasantly surprised by Bush recently. On two recent major issues he served as the voice of reason, in contrast to the apparently hot-headed Congress and Senate. During the heated discussion on Dubai Ports taking over some American ports he kept asking for calm and pointing out that we must work with our allies, that the deal has been checked and that the actual security will be done by American services. Now, he is making similarly calming statement about immigration reform.

"The immigration debate should be conducted in a civil and dignified way" and

"No one should play on people's fears or try to pit neighbors against each other," Bush said. "No one should pretend that immigrants are threats to America's identity because immigrants have shaped America's identity." and

"No one should claim that immigrants are a burden on our economy because the work and enterprise of immigrants helps sustain our economy," the president said. "We should not give in to pessimism. If we work together I am confident we can meet our duty to fix our immigration system and deliver a bill that protects our people, upholds our laws and makes our people proud."

Wow! This is a stark contrast to the old Bush we used to know. Is it his low approval ratings, growth or something else? Either way I am impressed. This is exactly what the president is supposed to do - lead this great nation! I think this is the first time during his entire term that I've seen true leadership from him.

Unfortunately it comes at a time when his approval ratings are at a record low (hovering around ~39%) and so he doesn't hold that much weight anymore - especially with Congress and the Senate which are up for a re-election this year and if anything are looking to distance themselves from an unpopular president. Still, it is a breath of fresh air and I commend him for it!

Goodness

2006-03-21T17:40:00.000-05:00

It always warms my heart when I hear of good deeds. This 19 year old woman found $30k in cash in a New Orleans home she was volunteering to clean after the hurricane. She turned it over to her church (which organized the cleaning) and they in turn gave it to the cops. Turned out the woman who owned the house (which was pretty much destroyed) didn't even know about it - her father hid it there as he didn't trust banks. Yay for the good people of this world!

Real estate agent scams in Britain

2006-03-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

Fascinating article on a BBC undercover investigation into estate agent practices in the UK. It really goes to show why laws and regulation are a an absolute necessity.

Chick Trips in South Carolina

2006-03-16T00:55:00.000-05:00

If you are like me when you saw this title (on "The Official Tourism Site of SC" no less) you probably thought: "Hmmm... what could this be? Maybe a tour of a chicken farm." Well, turns out the State of South Carolina officially recognizes the hip term chick as a refererence to a female homo sapiens. Unfortunately no "Dude Ranch" or "Homey Park" links were found.

Business "leaders" as politicians = bad idea

2006-03-15T23:31:00.000-05:00

If you thought Bush has done an excellent job of showing just how badly a business leader can "lead" a country look no further than Thailand to further strengthen that belief. I think anyone who has worked for a corporation or read Dilbert understands that electing business "leaders" to political office is just asking for punishment.

... and I quote

2006-03-07T03:38:00.000-05:00

"Young people live in their dreams; middle-aged people live in reality; old people live in their memories" - Paiz Mukunana quoting a common saying in "Wooden Clogs"

Well said...

2006-03-06T04:02:00.000-05:00

"luckily, there are women who like every conceivable kind of guy."

The wine wars: screw top vs cork

2006-03-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

Go cork!!

U.S. Capitol partially built by slaves

2006-02-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

How fitting.

I like this quote: "Slavery in Washington was different from slavery in the rural South, says Walter Hill, senior archivist and African-American history specialist with the National Archives. Households had smaller groups of slaves, eight or nine, and the men and women often were skilled artisans. Owners hired out their slaves to earn money."

So, it's OK really. It almost wasn't slavery. It almost doesn't count. Right!

"Sex Pistols Flip Off Rock Hall"

2006-02-26T06:33:00.000-05:00

Re-spect!

Top 10 laptops - CNET.com

2006-02-20T19:50:00.000-05:00

Nice overview of laptops by function.

"Iran Renames Danish Pastries"

2006-02-16T16:32:00.000-05:00

Well, if you needed any further proof that people are silly, silly beings here it is. Following the huge impact that Freedom Fries had on the collective subconsiousness of humanity, Iran (a country with a strong tradition of following American customs) has decided to express their great outrage over a few silly cartoons by renaming Danish pastries to "Roses of the Prophet M.*" Yeah, take that Freedom Fries! And I'll have one Rose of the Prophet M. to go. Isn't it like blasphemous and stuff to take the name of the prophet in vain*? Or was that for lord? I'll tell ya, I just can't tell apart my religious extremists these days.

John Stewart, I will be anxiously awaiting your coverage of this groundbreaking event!

*Well, they actually used his full name, but out of my great love and respect for HIS name I shortened it.

Yo! Cracka Raps

2006-02-15T18:53:00.000-05:00

This very well might become a new feature on the Gordo Blogga!! It all depends on how many bad-ass white boys step up and take the challenge.

SNL All-Star Pros NYC-style - "Lazy Sunday"
Westcoast ProAm response - "Lazy Monday"
Midwestern Shoutout to both: "Lazy Muncie"

Update: So, as you might (or might not have) noticed the Lazy Sunday link is broken. Turns out NBC sent a letter to YouTube requesting the video be taken down. On the positive side they did post the video on their site (look under Videos).

"Sweden Aims to End Oil Dependency by 2020"

2006-02-08T01:57:00.000-05:00

So, while I think Bush's announcement on cutting US reliance on oil is mostly an empty political promise Sweden seems much more serious about it. This quote sums it up:

"'Honestly, what is the alternative?' she said. 'Wait and see when oil gets even more expensive?'"

Ski Dubai

2006-02-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

Wanna ski in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon without having to drive? Dubai is the place for you!

Children's books that never made it... :-))

2006-02-01T04:36:00.000-05:00

"Little Golden Books That Never Made It"
1. You Are Different and That's Bad
2. The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
3. Dad's New Wife Robert
4. Fun four-letter Words to Know and Share
5. Hammers, Screwdrivers and Scissors: An I-Can-Do-It Book
6. The Kids' Guide to Hitchhiking
7. Kathy Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her
8. Curious George and the High-Voltage Fence
9. All Cats Go to Hell
10. The Little Sissy Who Snitched
11. Some Kittens Can Fly
12. That's it, I'm Putting You Up for Adoption
13. Grandpa Gets a Casket
14. The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator
15. Garfield Gets Feline Leukemia
16. The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy
17. Strangers Have the Best Candy
18. Whining, Kicking and Crying to Get Your Way
19. You Were an Accident
20. Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will
21. Pop! Goes The Hamster...And Other Great Microwave Games
22. The Man in the Moon Is Actually Satan
23. Your Nightmares Are Real
24. Where Would You Like to Be Buried?
25. Eggs, Toilet Paper, and Your School
26. Why Can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?
27. Places Where Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things
28. Daddy Drinks Because You Cry

REJECTED DR. SEUSS BOOKS:
1. One Bitch, Two Bitch, Dead Bitch, You Bitch
2. Herbert the Pervert Likes Sherbert
3. Fox In Detox
4. Who Shat in the Hat?
5. Horton Hires a Ho
6. The Flesh-Eating Lorax
7. How the Grinch Stole Columbus Day
8. Your Colon Can Moo - Can You?
9. Zippy the Rabid Gerbil
10. The Cat in the Blender
11. Marvin K. Mooney, Get the Fuck Out!
12. Are You My Proctologist?
13. Yentl the Lentil
14. My Pocket Rocket Needs a Socket
15. Aunts in My Pants

Blogging the State of the Union

2006-01-31T21:19:00.000-05:00

My first State of the Union speech. Lets see what happens.

After a 10 minute party of clapping and superficial greetings the President took the podium. Good speech so far. It's a shame our "commitment to democracy and freedom" is limited to small countries that we can bully. You wanna set lofty goals to spread democracy? How about China and Russia?! :-) Of course, they have nuclear weapons and are otherwise economically strong so we can't really tell them what to do. But sure, we will go and undermine Burma's regime in order to install democracy. Don't get me wrong - I applaud the thought and effort. It's a good cause. Thanks to that good cause we have changed numerous regimes over the years, many times bringing to power the irresponsible, the destructive and certainly anything but democratic governments the world over. Let freedom ring! Across America at least.

6:25pm - Do not question me! Or my wars. This particular marine did not and he died. You wanna die? Follow me! Let freedom ring as we march from nation to nation ensuring America-friendly regimes are left behind.

The Bush administration enthusiasm for democracy reminds me a lot of Brandon Fraser's character in "The Quiet American". He plays the enthusiastic CIA agent supplying weapons to a rebel army in hopes of speeding up regime change. This is all done in the name of spreading democracy (even as the resulting bombings kill many innocents). As he explains this to his friend, an older British journalist (brilliantly played by Michael Caine), he receives a poignant rhetorical question in return: "It's not that simple. So, you give them democracy. And what happens when they elect the communists?" Exactly.

I can't wait to see whether he will talk about Palestine. That is exactly what happened there.

6:32pm - Iran responds: "Dear American president, go fuck yourself. We overthrew your puppet government 26 years ago"

6:35pm - Aha... here we go. Domestic spying. I like how he stressed "international". *lol* And they focus the camera on Hillary Clinton as the entire room applauds - she shakes her head with a smirk. I'd vote for her just for that. Who are all these people clapping? Do all of them support the Patriot Act and domestic spying of American citizens? How about you stand up one by one and tell us why. And then we won't vote for you this Fall.

6:37pm - Freedom is on the march? Aha. See above.

6:39pm - Way to bring down protectionism!! My hat off for that.

6:41pm - Will he call for more tax cuts? Yup, calls for tax cuts to stay. And half of the room stands up in ovation! :)

6:42pm - I'd love to see him list some of those 140 programs he is going to cut. But that wouldn't be pretty. Heh, 14 billion. What huge savings!

6:44pm - Go Democrats!!! That was really cute. They all stood up when Bush said Congress killed his reform of Social Security.

6:45pm - Putting aside partisan politics? Now that is disguisting coming from a man whose adminstration has done nothing but aggressively kill bipartisanship by screwing all the people who were open to it.

6:47pm - Affordable healthcare? No such thing in a country that provides the best healthcare in the world, to those who can afford it. You can either have the best healthcare (for some) or good healthcare for all.

6:49pm - Oil. Here we go. "Advanced Energy Initiative"? Hmmm... nothing new really here. We'll build more coal and nuclear power plants and some solar. Pffttt.. whatever. That ain't gonna help. Ethanol? Whatever. Replacing 75% of our oil consumption from Middle East by 2025? How? Some fancy words, but no plan.

How about you call for some sacrifice? How about you increase the tax on gas? How about you implement an SUV tax? And fuel consumption tax for all cars running on less than 30mpg.

6:51pm - "American Competitiveness Initiative"? Strenthen education? OK. That's cool. R&D deduction? That's good. Canada does that.

How about you strengthen the import of great people from all over the world? Import the best. A lot of American innovation has come from the US harvesting the cream of the crop from around the world. Why pick from a pool of 300 milion when you can pick from a pool of 6 billion!

6:56pm - The American Empire will reign says Bush.

6:58pm - Indeed. Both O'Connor and Rehnquist.

Standing ovations seem to be pretty popular. The whole speech seems like a series of workouts Denis Leary style: "The Chairmaster. I sit down. I get up. I sit down. I get up." It's the new gov't recommended workout initiative to curb obesity.

7:00pm - OK, I totally want to see Hillary Clinton introduce our new first lady Bill Clinton during her State of the Union speech! :-))

7:05pm - It's over. Nothing too crazy.

Children tell: HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

2006-01-31T13:59:00.000-05:00

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?...
( 1 ) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10
( 2 ) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kirsten, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
( 1 ) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camille, age 10
( 2 ) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married. -- Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
( 1 ) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. -- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
( 1 ) Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
( 1 ) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
( 2 ) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. -- Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
( 1 ) I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. -- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
( 1 ) When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7
( 2 ) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. -- Curt, age 7
( 3 ) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
( 1 ) It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
( 1 ) There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
( 1 ) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. -- Ricky, age 10

Blog Note: No editorial comments were made. The text was posted as-is, with only slight changes in formatting and the omission of a somewhat stupid and seemingly arbitrary comment towards the end.

"Typhoid Fever Behind Fall of Athens"

2006-01-30T19:11:00.000-05:00

"An estimated one-third of Athenians died, including Pericles, their leader." Ouch!

Hamas and Palestine

2006-01-27T17:07:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard already (it's been hard to miss) Hamas won the Palestinian election. Shock and awe has set in as the political leaders and the media try to figure out how to start anew with a government formed by an organization that US, EU and Israel have been trying very hard to marginalize and destroy. There are a lot of disparaging comments regarding Hamas and this new goverment largely due to the violent zeal of Hamas towards seeing Israel destroyed.

There is a lot of confusion in my mind as to why this is such a big shock? Hamas had strong showing in the pre-election polls. Fatah is extremely corrupt and inefficient! While Fatah hasn't done diddly squat for the people of Palestine Hamas was building schools, hospitals and churches! I strongly disapprove of Hamas' violent ways, but given the choice between Fatah and Hamas I would've voted Hamas too!

Hamas should do a lot of good things for Palestine such as establish law and order and improve the lives of ordinary Palestinians. The downside will most likely be less freedom as they are certain to introduce some religious restrictions on the populace. Considering the disparaging situation that is a good short term trade-off. One can only hope that Hamas will respect the democracy that brought them to power and abstain from setting up an Iranian-style theocracy.

For couples with a gamer (or two)...

2006-01-27T04:25:00.000-05:00

First, WoW as a birth control device.
http://www.premisedenied.com/img/blog/WOW.wmv

And then a serenade for the couples with an Xbox.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1329362959167995041

aussielicious

2006-01-25T00:18:00.000-05:00

don't ask how i find these sites, i am not sure. considering most of the regulars here are women i consider it a humanitarian part of my blog. so, enjoy the new boytoy of the week ladies! (*lol* well on its way to becoming an irregular column) NOTE: not safe for work

sidenote: body perceptions totally trip me out. this dude may not be a stunner (depends on your taste), but he is certainly not plain. and yet... "Some say good looking, i say plain". modesty is great and all, but give yo'selves some lovin' people!

"Kodesex: Coded Wearable Clothing and Apparel for Sexual Compatibility"

2006-01-25T00:04:00.000-05:00

Is it me or is this just weird? I mean would you really want to walk down a street full of strangers and yell "I like fisting!!"?

"Mexican Commission to Give Migrants Maps"

2006-01-24T23:39:00.000-05:00

This is kinda like saying: "Good luck and here's a little something for the road." OK, I guess it would be more in the line of, "Well, you know they're going to do it so you might as well give them condoms."

Update 1/26/2006: Well, that was short lived. They just killed it.

Iran Nukes 101

2006-01-24T01:11:00.000-05:00

Excellent analysis of the nuclear issue with Iran from The Christian Science Monitor.

Annual list of ideal car brands for car dealers

2006-01-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

This is actually a pretty interesting list. It rates based on three factors, but I think it says a lot about what kinds of cars people are generally interested in. Pretty much what you'd expect, but it was interesting to note that Saturn was at a high #4 and Volkwagen at a low #16. Maybe due to other factors, but I've only heard bad stuff about Saturn quality and it seems to me Volkswagen has some solid products with high popularity (Bug, Jetta), especially amongst women.

Any thoughts on that? In California at least 90% of Volkswagen drivers are women.

Clinton for President!

2006-01-20T13:26:00.000-05:00

Speaking of the current administration she woved to fight to bring "an end to cronyism, incompetence and cover-ups."

That is the best three-point summary of our current presidency. Just another reason I'd vote for her if she ran. Clinton for President for another term! :-)

"I, Cringely" tech predictions for 2006

2006-01-19T18:21:00.000-05:00

Makes for a very interesting and entertaining read, if you're into computer tech at all.

Become a warlord and spread your genes

2006-01-17T13:50:00.000-05:00

They suspect Genghis Khan has 16 million descendants! Damn! Screw marriage and 2 1/2 kids. Get your junta and start conquering something.

"Calif. Governor Has No Mercy for Inmate"

2006-01-13T20:03:00.000-05:00

As well he shouldn't! As the brother of the victim commented:

"Allen's repeated appeals are the only reason he is old and frail."

And when you consider why he is on death row:

"Allen was serving time for murder when he ordered the three slayings because he feared the victims' testimony would hurt the success of his appeal, prosecutors said. Allen's hired hit man, Billy Ray Hamilton, was also sentenced to death."

Mercy? Yah, I don't think so buddy.

If we want to stop death penalty on the grounds that it is inhumane, uncivilized and the like - fine. But as long as we have it there should be no mercy for cruel and brutal murderers who showed their victims none.

"Report: Aniston wasn't alerted to Jolie pregnancy"

2006-01-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

The entertainment industry produces such drivel sometimes.

We're all rooting for your butt...

2006-01-08T06:11:00.000-05:00

You know this one and the Carl's Jr. Milk Shake commercial where the guy is getting his freak on with the cow go for some of my strangest recent advertising encounters.

Shake, shake, shake...

2006-01-08T05:39:00.000-05:00

Shake that booty boyfriend!

"RUFSKIN denim offers men a chance to own a unique, well-fitted and sexy designer jean. Yes guys....you have the right to look sexy in jeans too! Show off what you got!"

And to complete the experience you have to check out the actual site for the manufacturer: Rufskin Jeans. I just have such a hard time picking a favorite. There are too many contestants.

"U.S. Faces Severe Worker Shortage in Future"

2006-01-04T21:13:00.000-05:00

"[U.S. Chamber of Commerce will be] working to obtain a bill that provides the workers and is in keeping without our legacy as a welcoming nation"

HA! What a joke. You destroyed your legacy as a welcoming nation by effectively killing immigration, creating the gordian knot that is the INS and the US immigration process (or lack thereof), refusing visas to noted scholars, making it difficult for students to obtain/extend visas, halting green card applications for skilled workers, treating people like cattle at your border crossings, treating all foreigners like criminals, etc, etc, etc.

This great nation does not understand the meaning of the word "welcoming"!!

Peace

2005-12-29T04:33:00.000-05:00

In this mad world it's stories like this that warm my heart.

"Christmas day, 1914, near Ypres, Belgium: Brutal trench warfare during the first year of WWI briefly came to a stop. German troops started singing carols at midnight; shortly afterwards British troops across no-man's land did the same. They called out for a cease fire, and slowly they emerged from their wet, cold, miserable trenches to meet in the middle and share brandy, smokes and family photographs. The dead were safely retrieved, buried, and grieved over. Some say there was even a football match until the ball deflated on some barbed wire."

And then of course the ugliness creeps back in...

"The Christmas Trust was not officially sanctioned, and military brass were frustrated by the show of civility. In subsequent years of the war, they made sure that troops were rotated to avoid friendliness, and bombings were thereafter especially harsh on the Holiday of Peace."

"Another Year" by Sven Davis from the Santa Cruz "Good Times" - a great weekly publication on happenings around town and other

But still... it is great how people are just people. And in the middle of the war they were able to sit down with each other and take a break.

"Experts Say British Ladybugs in Danger"

2005-12-29T03:51:00.000-05:00

OMG! Anything but! Please... for the love of humanity... save those ladybugs. Up the pickets, man the posts... do not rest until those ladybugs are safe.

Does my ass look big in this?

2005-12-28T15:21:00.000-05:00

A "scientific" study.

"Antidepressants May Spur Brain Cell Growth"

2005-12-28T02:03:00.000-05:00

Does this mean we should all start using them?

Forty year old math problem solved

2005-12-27T19:22:00.000-05:00

I'm not crazy about math, but I can appreciate the elated feeling at solving a problem that's been around for forty some years. Especially when you spent four years working on it non-stop. Impressive!

Swinging should be legal

2005-12-27T05:13:00.000-05:00

"In a landmark decision on Dec, 21, the Supreme Court of Canada lifted a ban on swingers' clubs, ruling that group sex among consenting adults is neither prostitution nor a threat to society."

Go Canada! Go Montreal!!

Merkel leads Germany and Europe

2005-12-20T18:43:00.000-05:00

It looks like Germany found a more than worty successor to Schroeder. In three weeks her approval rating went up 3% as she raised taxes (by abolishing tax exemptions) and pleased the European Union through positive Summit negotiations (including giving 100 million euros due to eastern German provinces to poorer Polish provinces as an act of good will). She also had a positive meeting with Rice and the economy is looking better due to improved exports (although this last one really should be attributed to her predecessor). Good stuff! Someone should take note and learn!! Although considering someone doesn't read the newspapers (especially not the foreign ones) he may not have heard! We have a big stick dammit so why should we walk quietly? Because that's good diplomacy.