ftmichael, posts by tag: fun stuff - LiveJournal

(I always liked coming up with titles for my papers in school.)

So I just had a conversation with ganimede. It went thusly:

Michael: What did you get up to today?
Nathaniel: stuff :P
Michael: Oh, that sounds terribly exciting :P
Nathaniel: It was thrilling
Nathaniel: just wait for the LJ post. "Today I did Stuff."
Nathaniel: Maybe I should make it a Facebook status. "Today I did Stuff. Like if you did Stuff too!!!"
Nathaniel: sorry forgot the obligatory LOL
Michael: *snrk*
Nathaniel: ten minutes later, 25 likes and 4 comments saying "omg i totally did stuff too lol"
Nathaniel: two comments that just say "lol"
Michael: By the next day, there will be dozens of comments that just say 'lol'
Nathaniel: and right at the bottom one that says "doing stuff suckz"
Michael: *was just thinking that*
Nathaniel: which then gets more likes than the original status
Michael: Exactly.
Nathaniel: at which point everyone over the age of 19 thinks "wtf? Facebook is rubbish" and goes to LJ to write a long rant about it.
Michael: And then you have succeeded in getting people to come back to LJ!
Nathaniel: and the LJ post gets 1 comment that says "I know."
Nathaniel: the other 95 readers of the post all nod sympathetically
Michael: Yus, and say not one word
Nathaniel: and look for the Like button
Michael: *snrk*
Nathaniel: it's funny cos it's true
Michael: It's v funny and v v true
Nathaniel: hey you could post it on LJ! how meta
Nathaniel: and then you could make a status on Facebook linking to your LJ post
Nathaniel: although, I think writing a post about Facebook and LJ, and the posting about them on LJ and Facebook is probably the way the world ends
Nathaniel: it's the social networking equivalent of dividing by zero *nods sagely*
...
Michael: 'Today, Nathaniel did Stuff. Then he told me about it and I giggled a lot cos he's a funny boy. Fin.'
Nathaniel: no! 'Today Nathaniel did Stuff. Then we discussed the wider implications of doing Stuff with regards to Social Networking and the End of the Universe. Fin.' :P

Nathaniel just posted asking what everyone calls their evening meal. I generally call it dinner, but when I commented, I realised that I don't really know what people in other parts of the US do, other than that people in the South seem to call it supper more often and people in the North seem to call it dinner more often. I was reminded of The Pop vs. Soda Page and when Nathaniel suggested I post a poll, I thought it was an excellent idea. So here it is!

I've divided the US into nine regions, the same way the US census does it, because that seemed like the easiest way to do it. I'd love people to comment with what state they're specifically in but I wasn't about to post a poll with 50 options! But I know things can vary quite a bit within a particular region, especially when you consider that Alaska and Hawai'i are grouped in with California, Oregon, and Washington but are very different places. I've also included a spot for folks outside the US and if that's you, I'd love for you to comment and let me know what country/area you're in.

I'm also aware that people often relocate and bring their language with them, so if you're not in a given area currently but you're from there and that's where you got the word you use, that's fine with me. Again, details in the form of comments are much appreciated! This is all very interesting to me.

I'd love to hear what time you eat your evening meal as well! This was going to turn into a very long and involved poll so I kept it to one question and I hope people will comment with all this extra information I'm tacking on. I'm curious in particular if there's a solid North/South divide with people in the South eating significantly later than people in the North, because it gets dark later down there.

The nine United States Census Divisions are:

* New England - CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
* Mid-Atlantic - NJ, NY, PA
* East North Central - IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
* West North Central - IA, KS, MO, MN, ND, NE, SD
* South Atlantic - DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV
* East South Central - AL, KY, MS, TN
* West South Central - AR, LA, OK, TX
* Mountain - AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY
* Pacific - AK, CA, HI, OR, WA

Click here if you need to consult a map to check which division you're in.


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What kind of bread should be used for Tashlikh?


For ordinary sins: White Bread

For exotic sins: French Bread

For particularly dark sins: Pumpernickel

For complex sins: Multi-Grain

For twisted sins: Pretzels
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http://evilmadscientist.com/article.php/edibleeyes

One Hundred Percent EDIBLE Googly Eyes!





After more than a year of painstaking directed research by our Experimental Foods Division, we have finally achieved one of our most important longstanding goals: the production of edible googly eyes. Like many other great inventions, it seems almost simple in retrospect, but in this write up we walk through the process and show you how to make your own.


http://evilmadscientist.com/article.php?story=fractalcookies



A few months ago we showed you how to make beautiful fractals in polymer clay. Take that idea, run with it, and where do you end up? In the kitchen, making Sierpinski cookies! These cookies, made from contrasting colours of butter cookie dough, are a tasty realisation of the Sierpinski carpet, producing lovely, edible fractals. As with our earlier project involving clay, you can make these by using a simple iterative algorithmic process of stretching out the dough and folding it over onto itself in a specific pattern.

My boyfriend is full of great money-making ideas. I'm not entirely sure why he isn't supporting me and taking me on Mediterranean cruises and stuff, given the stuff he's come up with. Hopefully someday soon!

Among his ideas:

• A fish and chip van. To make it easier: 'You could just get some fish and chips from a local chippy, and have a microwave in the van, and nuke them every so often so the smell comes out and people come and go "Oo, I'll have two fish and an order of chips, please." And you say "Certainly!" Then your mate just legs it out the back and goes to the chippy, and gets the fish and chips, and brings it back, and you hand it over and say "There you go!" And they say "Oh, they're a bit cold", and you say "Oh, I'm terribly sorry". Then you take them back and nuke them, and people smell them and go "Oo, I fancy fish and chips" ...'


• A wind-up (no batteries), glow-in-the-dark torch (flashlight) with Braille buttons for the blind. Way too many people would think 'Oh, how handy!' and would buy them before it occurred to them what's wrong with that picture.

I apologise if any Transfolk find this comic at all offensive, but I didn't. I think it's hilarious. Hence my posting it here.

(FYI, if you want to know what's so offensive so you know whether or not to click on it, it says that TRON fans like to be called Tronnies, and another character asks if that's short for TRONssexuals or TRONsvestites. I find this very, very funny.)

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http://basicinstructions.net/

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1886349

Warning for squealing Microsoft fanboys and fangirls: This video contains Windows bashing.

Dear Red States,

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. ( Hee.Collapse )

Just because this hasn't been posted in a while, and I thought it could do with resurrecting. Thanks q_transphobia for mentioning it.

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Thanks to http://sayakb.blogspot.com/2008/08/so-you-want-vista.html via planetubuntu.

Guide to Kosher Imaginary Animals. Need I say more?

(Don't know what kosher means? See here.)

I just saw this icon and it was too good not to share:

Credit grtcaesarsghost.

Everyone must read this, for it is fucking hilarious.

Thanks ganimede for pointing it out.

Add your wish here, and it'll be put onto a piece of confetti that will fall in Times Square on New Year's!

Personally I'm not sure about putting my wishes onto pieces of paper that will float onto the streets of the most crowded spot in the busiest city in the world, to immediately be ground into the wet slushy pavement by thousands of feet. But I thought I'd put this out there for folks in case they have a more idyllic picture of it. ;)

After reading http://overheardinboston.blogspot.com/2007/12/food-frenzy.html :

Michael: Yes, the 'truckload' of food
Nathaniel: yeah, apparently
Nathaniel: enough for ... ooo, 6 people?
Michael: I know! It's like a horde.
Nathaniel: maybe in a Boston McD's that counts as a horde
Michael: It definitely does not
Nathaniel: I can imagine people wandering round going, "Well, we're in the city, where shall we eat? Hmm, there's a Finagle over there, here's a Dunkies, Brueggers is round the corner, we could walk to Hard Rock Cafe or several other nice restaurants at Quincy ... oh, I know! How about McDonalds?"
Nathaniel: at which point the manager goes into panic mode. "OMG SIX PEOPLE WALKED IN ALL AT ONCE OMG I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WILL COPE!!!!"

LiveJournal Dungeon Adventure: http://thesurrealist.co.uk/dungeon.php
Enter your LiveJournal username, or that of any friend or enemy, to explore a dungeon magically generated from their interests and friends list. A dark underground realm of treasure and monsters and slightly surreal background details.

LiveJournal Space Adventure: http://thesurrealist.co.uk/space.php
Enter your LiveJournal username, or that of any friend or enemy, to explore a futuristic world autogenerated from their interests and friends list. A brave new universe of spaceships and aliens and slightly surreal background details.

Michael: Happy Chanuka, my Jewnitarian friend.
Erik: *laughs*
Michael: Is the Chanuka bush a Jewnitarian thing?
Erik: possibly
Erik: or a tongue-in-cheek thing
Michael: Same thing, no?
Erik: who wouldn't like to be tongue-in-cheek with the chanuka bush? ; )
Michael: *snrk*
Erik: *sings* on the first day of transmas, my support group gave to me --
a brand new packer made for STP

Erik: on the second day of transmas, my support group gave to me --
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Have folks seen this?

Brilliant.

At the dentist last week, I learnt a new way to stifle my gag reflex. Some members of my readership might find this of particular interest, so I thought I would share it with you all.

I was taught, also at the dentist, many years ago that holding one's tongue completely still will stifle one's gag reflex. This has always served me very well at the dentist, but last week it turned out to not be enough. I have reached an age where they like to do a more complete set of X-rays than they've done in the past, which they apparently will do every five years. This involves putting those plastic bite-down tabs rather farther back, nearly in my throat. Holding my tongue still didn't stifle my gag reflex, so my dental hygienist taught me a new trick. "Hold up your leg," she said. I lifted my leg a bit, and left it there while the tabs went in and X-rays were taken. No gagging. Apparently lifting your leg that little bit - only a few inches from where it had been lying on the dentist's chair as I was lying back - tightens your stomach muscles a bit, which for some reason stifles the gag reflex further.

So the next time you are "at the dentist" (envision air quotes here) and need your gag reflex stifling, just lift your leg a few inches and hold it while you're ... doing whatever it is you might be doing "at the dentist" (more air quotes). I promise that you will not look the slightest bit silly. Your "dental hygienist" will thank you.

(Thanks mentalhygiene.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GthoVoeri2Y

Cello quartet performs 'Barbie Girl'. And it actually sounds good.

Dear Geoff, it's pronounced H-you-stun, not Hoo-stun. But your pronunciation made me giggle.

I usually think these are overdone and stupid, but this did make me laugh. I think it breaks off too abruptly, though. Comment and add more, and I'll add them to the post!

You Know You're Living In 2007 When:

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 12 phone numbers to reach your 4 friends.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your mobile phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

16. You have more online friends than offline ones.

17. Your phone is used more for texting than actually speaking.

18. You talk to your friends on IM rather than the phone.

19. Your SO lives on a different continent.

20. You've had numerous intimate conversations with your SO and have seen them regularly on webcam but you've never actually met, and despite this, you're still getting married soon.

21. You tell random strangers intimate details of your life through your blog.

22. You know more about a random person in Australia than you do about your next-door neighbour.

23. You find out the news from blogs instead of the newspaper or TV.

From what is presumably a T-shirt ad on Digg:



Ignore the political one; it was the other three (retro video game references) that I liked.

Too funny. Close as many of the little windows as you can before time runs out!

http://www2.b3ta.com/realistic-internet-simulator/