May 2008
38 posts
Cheez Whiz Is Overrated for Cheesesteaks →
philly.com
I always knew provolone was the best choice. I never understood the appeal of bright yellow Cheez Whiz. (via Daring Fireball)
Listen
Usher (feat. Young Jeezy & T.I.)
Love in this Club Remix
Behavioral Advertising is Great but Nobody Likes a Presumptuous Pete →
seomoz.org
If Facebook has such advanced ad targeting algorithms, why do I keep getting sidebar ads featuring busty blondes with skimpy tops? Brunettes please :)
[UPDATED: May 23]
I clicked around Facebook a little bit and got a ‘Meet Men Online’ ad with a topless guy smiling suggestively at me. Oh…kayy…
Play
When people are asked to describe the perfect person, they usually pick the best traits of several people to mash together. Me? I would choose just Kristin Kreuk, plain and simple. I absolutely adore her. She is perfect in just about every way (except she’s about five years older than me
TinySong →
tinysong.com
Really simple and well-designed minisite that gives a short URL to a song of your choice in Grooveshark’s music library. (via gtmcknight)
“Today my grandpa told me something was “TMI” - if he starts “LOLing” around me, I may quit the internet entirely.”
—livejamie.com
Play
Reddit sleuths uncover drug dealer license plates →
reddit.com
I have never been in Chicago so I cannot attest for the workings of urban life there, but this is just ridiculous. Getting caught on Google Streetview cameras is so unlikely yet there are multiple drug deals going on in plain view. No one can say with absolute certainty they’re drug deals, as they can be “bible sellers” as one reddit commenter put, or “buying medicine for his mother” said another.
On a side note, if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought they were screenshots from an upcoming urban video game.
The best shows on TV
Lately I have noticed my favorite television shows have got even better.
The Office season finale, Goodbye, Toby, is probably the most genius episode of The Office ever written. It has more plot developments and surprises than the entire first season of The Office, which was amazing enough on its own. How the writers managed to pull of at least three plot twists (that I can remember off the top of my head)—each which are capable of being the episode’s cliffhanger—is honestly beyond me. I won’t spoil the surprise for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, but suffice it to say this episode definitely in the running for having the best writing I’ve ever seen on television.
The penultimate episode of this season’s House, House’s Head, is also another masterfully written episode. The usual medical mystery and ensuing drama of typical episodes of House are entertaining and well written enough to garner much praise, but this episode just blows the other episodes away. Just how different the cold open is will be enough for one to understand that this is no typical hour of House. House awakens to a full-fledged lapdance in a strip club with no recollection of what happened in the last eight hours or so. He leaves the club to find a crashed, overturned bus with rescue workers running around. He vaguely recalls being on the bus and noticing a life-threatening condition on somebody, but can’t recall who. If that last sentence confused you, good: you’re all set up to watch the most amazing episode of House you’ll ever see.
Reaper’s last few episodes have all had much tighter writing and more cohesive plots than previous episodes. Earlier episodes had noticeable plot-holes, which is normal for a rookie show with (what I believe to be) a low budget. But with whisperings of cancellation coming down from the Mothership, Reaper writers seem to really have gotten their collective minds together and wrote several spectacular episodes. Andi and Sam’s romance really picks up and the episode where Sam reveals his reaper job to Andi is believable yet still perfectly hilarious and cute at the same time. We finally finds out the meaning behind Sam’s dad’s mysterious ripping of pages from the Devil’s huge book of Sam’s contract, and also find out something important about Sam himself.
Another great show I just picked up is The Big Bang Theory. Fine, this show doesn’t qualify for my aforementioned thesis but it’s a great new show all the same. Straight from TV.com, The Big Bang Theory is “a sitcom that shows what happens when hyperintelligent roommates/physicists Sheldon and Leonard meet Penny, a beautiful woman moving in next door—and realize they know next to nothing about life outside of the lab.” Although most of their physics and math jokes will fly completely over a good number of our heads, trust me, it’s a great show with some terrific writing. Thanks to Hoyin for recommending it to me.
I don’t know what they’re feeding the writers, but it’s definitely helping!
Postscript: I can’t wait until new episodes of Psych, Dexter, and Heroes air. Much promise these shows hold!
I read a lot of tumblelogs and can’t help but notice how often bloggers mention their significant others in their posts, and always in a loving way. Call me sappy, but I think that’s the cutest thing in the world. It’s like the online equivalent of a happy couple holding hands and giving each other little kisses as they walk. Is everyone really as happy as they seem to be? Someone tell me the secret to being this happy.
Empathy quotient quiz →
glennrowe.net
The quiz is a little long and there are a few double negative (confusing!) questions, but it’s a pretty well written one. I scored a 48 out of 80. The average ‘EQ’ for women is 47 and the average for men is 42. I think I pick up on other’s emotions and thoughts too readily.
(via emilyposts)
Wii Night one-handed snack recipes →
chow.com
Found this food site via their ad on TV.com, which would make one of the first times I purposely clicked on an ad.
It’s full of yummy looking snacks; the chicken skewers with dukkah crust looks amazing and simple, I must make it this summer! See also the Mongolian beef kebabs with chile jam and the drunken watermelon pops. My stomach is growling…
icanhascheezburgerwidgets →
icanhascheezburger.com
Your favorite lolcats in your choice of iGoogle widget, Windows Vista gadget, Yahoo! widget, or Mac OS X Dashboard widget.
Play
New Heroes cast member is a sexy ‘Speedster’ →
cnn.com
Finally, news about the next season of Heroes. A new hero joins the cast: Brea Grant plays a new character called Daphne, who has super-speed abilities. She apparently “is supposed to be Hiro’s Joker,” said Masi Oka.
I feel like Heroes has been gone for far too long. It is probably the best produced show on television, with special effects and a story arc that rival most blockbuster movies. The ensemble cast and well-written plot makes for a distinctively film-like feel, albeit one sliced into hour-long segments once a week.
The third season of Heroes, called “Villains”, will premiere on September 15, 2008 as a three hour episode. The first hour is purely a clip show of the last two seasons but that still leaves a two hour premiere! I can’t wait!
“Phone sex is the dumbest thing in the world. It’s not sex. It’s like calling a restaurant and asking them to describe their food. That’s not the same thing as eating.”
—thumbwrestlinginbaltimore
When Obama wins, →
kottke.org
Microsite by Jason Kottke around the recent ‘When Obama wins’ twitter meme. Love the site design
[UPDATED: May 9]
Noticed he recently added Deck ads to the microsite. Oh well, he’s gotta pay the bills somehow.
101 Simple Appetizers in 20 Minutes or Less - New York Times →
nytimes.com
Mark Bittman revisits the idea of his 2- or 3-line recipes from last summer (101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less) in a new list.
Great simple recipes; must try a couple this summer.
For Sale—One Wife, slightly used, 1964 Model →
craigslist.org
I recently discovered the hilariousness that is ‘best of craigslist’. Craigslist’s (anti-)design reminds me of the simpler days of the web, when there weren’t any flash ads visually and audibly assaulting you.
The Official God FAQ →
400monkeys.com
Answered everything I’ve always inquired about Christianity. Wonderfully concise too. (via riotrepublic)
“According to Stanislas Dehaene, humans have an inbuilt “number sense” capable of some basic calculations and estimates. The problems start when we learn mathematics and have to perform procedures that are anything but instinctive.”
—Numbers Guy: Are our brains wired for math?
You know you're a Mac fanboy when you rave about their KEYBOARD →
atpm.com
The user comments mirror the gushing tone of the reviewer. Hmm… I’m getting interested too. Is it possible Steve Job’s patented Reality Distortion Field is contagious and contaminated fanboys can sprout their own Field? The world is doomed for sure.
Traveler IQ Challenge →
minijuegosgratis.com
Another oldie but it’s definitely worth sharing. I’m almost too embarrassed to post my score; I haven’t a clue where Easter Island really is, or the Maldives. Nor do I really know where Timbuktu, Mali really is even if the city’s name is popularly used.
Final score: 270,331
Final level: 8 - World Capitals (Hard)
Traveler IQ: 101
If ‘Traveler IQ’ is anything like regular IQ, I place squarely in the middle of the bell curve. My expensive American education failed me miserably.
Ten typographic mistakes everyone makes →
recedinghairline.co.uk
I’m a big enough typography nerd to know and correctly avoid most of these typographic no–no’s but I honestly didn’t know that a period was the incorrect mark to use for prices, or that ellipses are preferred over three periods. Actually, I’m quite certain the interpunct usage in prices is outdated as even Wiktionary doesn’t list this usage. $1.00 looks more right to me than $1·00 by any means.
