Two really interesting data visualizations.
Visualization of the U.S. President's State of the Union speeches. It shows two word frequency graphs for the State of the Union speeches, education level of the speech and total word count.
We Feel Fine - a visualization of the feelings of bloggers at certain points in time for the last few years. This one is a java applet and takes a long time to load. The interface isn't terribly efficient or intuitive, nor does it really mean anything since the data is poorly categorized but it is fun.
May 2006 Archives
I'm a sucker for unscientific polls.
| Your Linguistic Profile: |
| 65% General American English |
| 20% Upper Midwestern |
| 10% Yankee |
| 0% Dixie |
| 0% Midwestern |
Sometimes I miss advances in medicine.
Doctor's in Duluth performed and wrote up their finding on the topic of "stool transplants" in 2003. They used a household blender to prepare the "organ" for transplant. I hope it was a disposable blender.
I'm not making this up.
I'm not making this up.
" ... A second concern is the esthetics of this process."
John G. Bartlett, M.D., posted 04-15-2003
More links if you don't believe me.
[Link coutesy of Metroblogging Twin Cities]
Today is Towel Day, a tribute to the late Douglas Adams.
A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitch hiker can have. Partly it has great practical
value - you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a bush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams.
Post your towel picture to the flickr towel day group.
I went to see the "Body Worlds" exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota last night. It's one of those things I can't fully explain, but it's really worth seeing. I could give you a blow by blow description but I think it would take away from the experience for you.
The exhibit really confronts one with the reality that all our love & desire, reason & intellect, wit & humor springing up and out of these complicated little "machines" will turn into dust & wormfood (or plastic in this case).
"What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form, in moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me; no, nor woman neither, though, by your smiling, you seem to say so."
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, William Shakespeare
For those of you who heard my questions before seeing the exhibit ... yes, there are genitals. They weren't jarring in the way I expected them to be.
The Roseville Caribou on Lexington is becoming some sort of strange nexus for me. A week ago I saw one of the barista's at church. Last Saturday, at the swing dance at the Anoka airport, I ran into another. She happens to be living with one of the couples that we went dancing with. I think there is a cosmic message in this for me -- I should be tipping better.
Check out the overview of devices intended to let you walk on water. The only device that looks like it would work is the "boy in the bubble" one. I'm afraid that if I tried the "boy in the bubble" one I would be swept out to sea -- who wants to teach water polo to sharks?
At this very moment, I'm so happy I would wag my tail if I were a dog.
Pillow Fight Club is finally coming to Minneapolis May 20th.
If you aren't familiar with the concept, check out Pillow Fight Club photos on Flickr or the Pillow Fight Club entry on wikipedia.
I'll see you there! There is nothing you have to do that is more important than a pillow fight.
[Link courtesy of Metroblogging Minneapolis]
City Pages is reporting that "City leaders delete ordinance prohibiting dancing in the streets".
It proves the old adage, when outlaws can dance in the street then only dancers can be outlaws ... er, something like that.
[Link courtesy of Metroblogging Minneapolis]
My uncle sent me a wonderful present recently. It is an indoor Stove Top Smoker
. I had never really considered anything like this for my kitchen. I have been around people smoking food outdoors but was never really interested enough in smoking food to devote an entire day to the activity.
After using this pan a few times I have to say it is really fabulous -- better than expected. I smoked both a small brisket and a salmon fillet over the weekend. Both dishers were very simple to to prepare and had a wonderful but not overpowering smoky taste. I can't wait to try roasting veggies in this pan.
The pan itself is a really heavy stainless steel pan that doubles as a deep roasting pan, so is a much appreciated addition to the kitchen.
There didn't appear to be any smoke escaping from the pan but the house did smell vaguely of a butcher shop afterwards. This is good news to me since I love the smell of a butcher shop.
I've often thought that "butcher shop" would be a really great men's cologne. I've always been afraid that if I were to actually procure or create "eau de butcher shop cologne" I would become a pied piper of puppies.
. I had never really considered anything like this for my kitchen. I have been around people smoking food outdoors but was never really interested enough in smoking food to devote an entire day to the activity.
After using this pan a few times I have to say it is really fabulous -- better than expected. I smoked both a small brisket and a salmon fillet over the weekend. Both dishers were very simple to to prepare and had a wonderful but not overpowering smoky taste. I can't wait to try roasting veggies in this pan.
The pan itself is a really heavy stainless steel pan that doubles as a deep roasting pan, so is a much appreciated addition to the kitchen.
There didn't appear to be any smoke escaping from the pan but the house did smell vaguely of a butcher shop afterwards. This is good news to me since I love the smell of a butcher shop.
I've often thought that "butcher shop" would be a really great men's cologne. I've always been afraid that if I were to actually procure or create "eau de butcher shop cologne" I would become a pied piper of puppies.
30-Minute Snog Beats the Sneeze.
I like kissing, I really do, but kissing someone in the middle of their hayfever attack, even for the love of science and histamine-blocking -- I'm not sure about that.
The co-worker formerly known as "the co-worker who would prefer to be called my favorite co-worker" is out on maternity leave. Consequently, I have an opening and I'm interviewing for a temporary replacement worker. Obviously you must already work at my office.
Requirements include the ability to give out fashion advice, make me a special dessert on my birthday and the ability to listen to my inane bitching -- good sense of humor is a must.
BTW, this is not an actual job, with a pay check and benefits, it's a virtual-job. You won't be paid for this and you'll still have to get your actual job done. (If you read this blog, you're probably qualified already.)
What more need I say. Thanks mom. Happy Mother's Day, wish I was there.
Today's annoyance of the week is the price of gas. I don't want to talk about peak oil, supply & demand, historical prices adjusted for inflation or any other sensible thing. Blah, blah, blah -- I don't like the idea of dropping a $65 to fill up my tank.
Today I had one of these weird small world experiences. I was walking out of church -- walking towards me was a barista from the Caribou located all too conveniently on my way to work. For a minute I wondered if I was having some sort of caffeine withdrawal delusion -- nope, it was really her. She thought I looked familiar, but didn't know why until I asked her if she could make me a large-skim-wet-cappucino. Obviously the pusher means more to the addict than vice versa.
Next thing you know someone from church will show up at my coffee shop. Could everyone please stay in the correct boxes please?
Next thing you know someone from church will show up at my coffee shop. Could everyone please stay in the correct boxes please?
I made my first intentionally flat bread today. The recipe was for a pita. It was an ordinary yeast dough, but then it was rolled into smallish circles, placed on a hot stone in a 500° oven. After a minute or two in the over the dough puffed up like it was being blown up by an air compressor. As soon as I took them out of the oven, they would immediately deflate and take on the familiar pita shape.
I whipped up some fresh hummus with just chick peas, sesame seed, garlic, lemon & salt and had then with the still warm pita. It wasn't nearly as good as the very authentic home made hummus Joel brought my the other day for breakfast but it was very good.
The pita's were good enough to serve to guests but given the availablity of really good pitas made locally, I might not bother.
Halloween Alaska is playing at The Cedar -- Saturday, May 13 8:00 PM (7:00 PM doors) Ticket are $10.00.
I can't make it -- I'm on kid duty for the weekend so can't go but you should go to the show.
I made granola at home for the first time this week. I can't believe how easy it was and how expensive granola is in the store compared to how inexpensive it is to make at home -- even with preium organic ingredients.
My granola included the following ingredients.- Rolled Oats
- Pecan
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Dates
- Craisins
- Wheat Germ
- Cracked Wheat
- Golden Raisins
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
Here is what a relaxing weekend looks like at my house.
- Prepared and/or served five meals for children.
- Biked 40 miles.
- Went to church.
- Visited with relatives.
- Took children to small parking lot carnival.
- Made cool craft project with kids.
- Taught myself new and secret craft skill.
- Read to kids.
- Read to children some more.
- Fold and put away a heap of laundry large enough to cover two beds.
- Make home-made bread, without a bread machine or even a fancy pants mixer.
- Worked on teaching bike riding skills - aka fling your son at the pavement until he begs for mercy.
- Mow grass.
- Fertilize
- Turn on sprinklers, accidentally spraying neighbors freshly washed truck ... again.
- Replace light bulbs
- Made real progress reading latest book.
- VPN'ed towork and wrote an email or two.
The Caribou on the way to work has a great staff who provide a bright spot in my mornings. I was pleasantly surprised to find out one of the barista's is a musician. Check out Girl With Guitar or her spot on myspace.
My bread baking is betting better. The loaves now taste great and look pretty good. I think this loaf would have been perfect, if only I would have let it rise a little longer the last time.
Lawn Mower Race Goes Terribly Awry
I never know what I'm going to see when I go for a walk.
I am considering giving up the software business.
I have a real knack at organic dandelion farming.
This is really my backyard.
I never wanted to spell my name with biscuits before today. You can spell out your name with biscuits too.
[Link via neatorama]
Yesterday I got these books in the mail from a member of paperbackswap.com in Georgia. My books are in the mail to someone who will enjoy appreciate them, and I've got two books in good condition to read enjoy. Seems like a good deal all around.
