Mammatus clouds Apr 10, 2006
This University of Nebraska link has a bunch of pictures of mammatus clouds, which are defined as "a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud".  (via Digg) #technology
WunderKat Apr 10, 2006
WunderKat, a new method of energy production:
The novel approach is based on two common but previously unexploited natural laws.  One is a well-known form of Murphy's Law which states that when toast is dropped, it always lands buttered side down.  The other law states that when a cat falls, it always lands on its feet.  These two laws are set in opposition to each other by attaching a buttered piece of toast to a cat's back, buttered side up.  If the cat is then suspended in the air, the two laws cause the cat to perpetually rotate.  By building a device to hold the cat and capture this rotating energy, enough force is harnessed to drive an electric generator. 
(via Neatorama)

Update (2007-04-12 9:29am):  I've learned that this is called the Buttered Cat Paradox. #science
Credit card no-sign (1) Apr 9, 2006
At a few stores, the credit card machines allow you to get away with not signing your receipt if your purchase is below a certain amount ($25 I think).  This is the best thing in the history of the world.  I'm not sure why we sign receipts anyway.  Is my scribbled signature a confirmation that I'm the person who's using my credit card?  Couldn't anyone sign a sloppy name and use a stolen credit card?  And who came up with this $25 amount?  Is $25 too little for fraud catchers to worry about?  Either way, I'm a huge fan of this system because I can use my credit card without signing some stupid little piece of paper.  Two of the places that use this system are Quizno's and Wawa, which are arguably two of the best stores on the planet.  Now if I can only get Dunkin Donuts and Walmart to adopt this system, my life will be officially complete. #business
Wawa Apr 8, 2006
Wendy and I are huge fans of Wawa.  For those who don't know, Wawa is a convenience store/deli chain that's common in South Jersey and similar areas.  I say "South Jersey" because it's actually a different state than "New Jersey", where Wawas are nonexistent.  I really love Wawa because you can order sandwiches without talking to a human being:  You just press some buttons on a screen and you're done.  You don't have to go through a whole bunch of nonsense to get what you want.  They also have the normal candy and drinks that all convenience stores have.  But there's something different about Wawa.  I'm not sure what it is.  It's just great.  That's all I can say. 

For any Wawa entrepreneurs out there, I invite you to open a store in North Jersey, preferably near exit 28 off Route 80. #food
Personal problems (2) Apr 7, 2006
I always seem to overhear other people's personal problems.  There could be a ton of background noise and I could be diligently working, but it's impossible for me to not hear "kidney stones" or "________ infection".  Maybe I'm a jerk because I listen to other people's conversations.  I guess it's just a little difficult to tune something out when it's blabbing loud enough for anyone to hear.  Maybe some people are more open about things like that.  I personally wouldn't go around talking about my "foot odor problem" or my "failure to change my underwear today".  I guess I'm just different. #psychology
Walk around the world Apr 7, 2006
Karl Bushby is walking around the world, and it's taking him across 36,000 miles of land in 12 years.  He started in southern Chile, travelled through South America, Central America, and North America.  Then he crossed a frozen ocean near the Bering Straits, where he plans to continue through Asia and Europe, eventually finishing in the United Kingdom.  (via Neatorama) #sports
Two spaces (5) Apr 5, 2006
Back in the early days of high school or junior high, I learned to put two spaces after the period at the end a sentence when typing.  I've been doing this ever since.  I've noticed that I'm the only person on earth who does this.  I figured everyone else was wrong, as is usually the case.  But it turns out that it's an ongoing debate.  Basically, the old way of doing things was to put two spaces after the period.  This practice began with typewriters and fixed-width fonts (like Courier), where every letter takes up the same amount of horizontal space on the page.  It was straining on the eyes to read long documents where sentences weren't separated by more than one space, so the extra space was added to make reading easier.  This "old school" approach was handed down and continued by typing teachers, most of whom are old ladies.  But since the advent of proportionally-spaced fonts (like Times New Roman and pretty much everything else), the extra spaces seemed unnecessary to most people.  Also, the introduction of the interweb and HTML made the double-space even more obsolete because HTML only shows one space, whether you put two or seventeen.  But no matter what the current standard is or what's commonly accepted, I'm sticking with my way of doing things because it's arguably the best way of doing things. 

More info here, here, and here. #language
Cults Apr 5, 2006
One thing I've been noticing more and more is that cults (and Christian people involved in cases of major moral failure) have really given Christianity a bad name.  When people are slightly interested in Christianity and start hanging out at Bible studies, they're always cautious about not spending too much time or effort there because some of the people's actions "seem a little cult-ish".  Yes, Christianity can look a lot like a cult because a lot of cults have been modeled after Christianity.  But the difference is that cult leaders usually assume a position higher than God and/or they convince their followers to do things that defy reason and sound judgment.  [Some may argue that Christianity in itself defies reason and sound judgment.  I won't address that point.]  But the real shame in all this is that people are really scared of devoting time to God and the Bible because they think any amount of extreme devotion is akin to cultism.  A leader of a Bible study hadn't seen one of the new attenders for a few weeks, so she said, "Hey, we haven't seen you in a while.  Where have you been?"  The new attender took this to mean that he had to give an account as to why he hadn't shown up in a few weeks.  He felt this was very cult-like and it made him uncomfortable.  When I was in college, I was trying to explain to one of my friends why I had made certain changes in my life and why I no longer did certain things.  I referenced several Bible verses that explained why I did things and how I felt, and he took that to mean that I had drunk the proverbial Kool-Aid of my school's Christian cult.  Since when do Bible verses mean I'm in a cult?  Another time in college, I was in a Bible study that met at a professor's house.  We met weekly, and we also met several Fridays or Saturdays during the semester.  Many people took this to mean that the group was a cult because we spent so much time together. 

In conclusion, cults have given Christianity a bad name.  Thanks a lot, ya buncha jerks. #religion
Sesame Street Apr 5, 2006
I work with a guy named Ernie.  The other day, he called a co-worker while I was in the room.  He said, "Hi Curt, it's Ernie."  I had to struggle to hold in my laughter. #sociology
Evasion Apr 4, 2006
I may or may not have evaded a speeding ticket yesterday by outrunning a cop.  I'm not completely sure.  I was on a road where the speed limit was 35mph.  I was on a downward-sloped section, so I was momentarily going 45mph.  That's when I saw the cop.  And that's when I noticed I was going 45 in a 35.  And that's when my heart started being faster.  I looked in my rearview and noticed the cop's brake lights go on.  I thought, "Great.  I can't deal with another speeding ticket."  So I sped up a little bit, went around a bend and up a little hill, and made a quick little right turn down a residential road.  I made a few more little turns like this so the cop (if he was following me) wouldn't see me as he drove by.  I drove to a dead end and sat there for a few minutes as my blood pressure and heart rate stabilized.  After a little while, I drove away and continued on my way home. 

I'm not completely sure if the cop even followed me.  I just made sure I got out of there and onto some side roads.  I guess I just didn't feel like I deserved a speeding ticket for a problem that was caused by gravity.  Call it blame-shifting, but that gravity thing is a big problem. #travel