Tue 24 Jul 2007 – 12.01
Lately, we’ve been having conversations about how the SATs don’t matter once you start University, and GPA only matters if you’re applying to graduate school. In a similar vein, here is a well-written and somewhat scientific argument as why bad grades don’t mean shit.
The War on Bullshit seems to be a pretty harshly-written look at life, so take it with a grain of salt. While I agree with the sentiments of this article, I have the feeling that the author is more than a little bitter over past grades. A bit like me and my C in Linear Algebra — I got a 100 on the midterm, yet ended with a C? WTF?
posted by Scott in education.
Geeks Make Good Lovers: Master’s Degree Thesis
Mon 23 Jul 2007 – 10.50
This is a few months old already, but still worth a note. Jennifer Chowdury, a Master’s graduate from NYU, shocked academia when she turned up for her presentation in her underwear. But it was part of the gig. According to Wired,
Her master’s thesis project, Intimate Controllers, is not explicitly sexual — but it’s not something you would use with your sibling, either. Intimate Controllers is a set of sensors embedded in underwear that direct the action on a video game. Rather than sit separately on the couch and jam fingers against small plastic buttons, players touch each other to control the game.
And naturally, there’s video.
Kinda makes my Thermal Systems Design class seems downright catatonic.
posted by Scott in education, relationships.
Sun 22 Jul 2007 – 12.14
Useful tips if ever you have to … fall asleep anywhere. Seriously though, I could use a nappy poo myself.
posted by Scott in health & fitness.
34 Uses for Soda, other than drinking
Sat 21 Jul 2007 – 12.15
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of The Bachelor Guy, a blog for the blokiest of blokes. But this is a useful list of ways to use soda, mainly coke, around the house, the garage, and other places you wouldn’t think of. Here’s one I like:
17. Kill Slugs and Snails. If these pests are invading your lawn and garden, pour a little Coke into shallow dishes or jar lids and spread them throughout your yard. The sugar attracts them, and, just like you remember from when you were a kid, the acid kills them.
•• List Here »
posted by Scott in health & fitness, life.
Judge Orders Man Not to Have a Girlfriend
Thu 05 Jul 2007 – 11.21
Are you kidding me?!
It seems pretty absurd to hear that a Canadian man has been literally sentenced to a life of singlehood, but it’s actually a sad story. According to the AP article from last month:
A judge has ruled that a 24-year-old Canadian man is not allowed to have a girlfriend for the next three years. The ruling came after Steven Cranley pleaded guilty on Tuesday to several charges stemming from an assault on a former girlfriend.
Still, that’s not exactly business as usual for the courts. Now if only some government body could order girls to go out with me. Oh, Canada.
posted by Scott in relationships.
Episode 030: Meeting New People
Wed 04 Jul 2007 – 20.45
Whilst out at the Diggnation meetup in NYC, Scott chats with Paul and Rachel about, well, life as a twentysomething in New York. Getting ahead, if you will.
Diggnation
Diggnation Meetup
Turtle Bay
The Cost of Living with Lindsay Campbell
Craig’s List
HousingMaps.com
Homethinking.com
Listen Now
Download Episode 030 (.m4a, 16:32, 7.8 MB)
posted by Scott in podcasts.
– 19.30
That’s right, I said Gold Farmer. For those who haven’t heard of this absurd new practice, the New York Times has an in-depth article about the young men who work 12-hour days playing World of Warcraft, harvesting virtual gold to be sold for actual currency.
What a strange paradox that one should suffer so much playing a game. Makes one think twice about a cubicle job pushing paper. Strange days indeed.
posted by Scott in careers.
Tue 03 Jul 2007 – 19.42
I have always found a strange amusement in those obscure and often uber-specific tasks that are part of the scientific process. For example, you always hear statistics about how an elephant can go without sex for 40 years, but never think of the poor sap who had to follow around the same elephant for those 40 years and watch to make sure he wasn’t having it off somewhere on the African steppe.
From Popular Science comes a list of the top ten worst jobs in science. Some of these are in fact quite undesirable, but I think we could find some worse ones.
10. Orangutan-Pee Collector
Just to start things off…
posted by Scott in careers.
Mon 02 Jul 2007 – 10.54
From one of my favourite sites, the Consumerist, comes the 10 Commandments of Credit. Mainly rules for how to avoid debt and live a healthy life — economically speaking.
Here’s one to get you started. The site has more details.
9) Thou Shalt Not Cancel Credit Cards, Thou Shalt Try To Keep Them Open So As Not To Shorten Thine Credit History.
posted by Scott in personal finance.
Sun 01 Jul 2007 – 11.13
Not sure what this position is called
It may seem obvious — folks who do Yoga are sexy to begin with, what with their flexibility and trim bodies. But according to an article I read, there are some well-documented and researched benefits that you can take to the bank, as it were. Since, you know, everything you read it always true.
Yoga helps you develop an awareness of sensations in your body. Learning to feel the weight rolling into the inside edges of your palms in downward dog, for example, teaches you to savor every sensation in your body — including the really delicious ones that happen during sex.
And that’s just your palms. Oy, this is gonna get interesting…
posted by Scott in health & fitness, relationships.