Middle initial Nov 18, 2008
Some people (e.g. authors, actors, jerks) insist on using their middle initial (or full middle name) when referring to themselves.  When I refer to them, I intentionally leave their middle initial out.  I will win this game. #sociology
Reusing zip-lock bags (3) Nov 18, 2008
When I was growing up, I thought my family was poor.  Other kids had plastic sandwich bags that zipped shut; I was stuck with those stupid ones with the flap that folds over, which really didn't work at all.  But then the day came:  My mom started buying zip-lock bags.  I figured we must've won the lottery or somehow made it big.  Zip-lock bags = success in life. 

But then it started going downhill.  I would notice a bag or two sitting next to the dish drainer.  I would wonder, "Who left these used bags out?  They belong in the trash."  And then I caught my mom in the act -- she was washing the bags after using them, giving them a second life they didn't deserve at all.  I was back to square one.  My family was so poor, we had to reuse zip-lock bags. 

I went through a phase in early adulthood where my trips to the supermarket were a statement of rebellion against how I was raised.  I bought zip-lock bags.  I bought draw-string trash bags.  I bought candy and cookies, and often did so without thinking about it beforehand, i.e. spur of the moment.  I was successfully misdirecting my rage into shopping, which I've heard is a good idea.  And those zip-lock bags I bought?  Sometimes I would just throw them in the trash for the fun of it, without even using them, simply because I could.  (I'm kidding, of course.)

Fast forward a few years, and here I am, in my kitchen, washing dishes ... and plastic zip-lock bags.  I was opposed to it at first.  We make enough money to buy all the plastic zip-lock bags in the world, but it's not about the money.  [Serious moment coming]  It's about the landfills.  Most times we use a plastic bag, we simply throw it in the trash when we're done because that's what you do with disposable things.  That's why plastic was invented in the first place (or something along those lines).  But if you reuse a bag even once, you've effectively doubled the lifespan of that bag.  It lasted 100% longer than it was intended.  And I think that's a start.  Since plastic in landfills will essentially never go away, I think it would be a good idea to cut down on the source, which turns out to be me.  So now not only do I reuse zip-lock bags (washing them isn't so bad), I reuse plastic shopping bags as well (at least the ones that haven't been used for the transport of cat excrement).  And I recycle, even though I'm not fully convinced it's real.  In general, I think it's a good idea to cut down on disposable things and try to reuse as much as possible.  It probably won't help much, but it's something. #science
Book pride (2) Nov 18, 2008
In order for me to feel comfortable reading a book in public or around other people, I need to feel at least a little pride in it.  Such was not the case recently as I read The Fall of Reach, the first book in a series about the video game Halo.  Words can't describe how much of a geek it takes to read a book based on a video game.  Nonetheless I read it, oftentimes in public, while conveniently hiding the cover from onlookers. 

Tables turned recently after I picked up a copy of Freakonomics from the library.  It's a smart person book, so I find myself actually trying to bring to people's attention the fact that I'm reading it.  I walked through a Dunkin Donuts while cradling it in my arm, watching people ogle my smartness.  I bring it into work and don't put it away when people visit my office.  I sometimes leave it in the passenger seat of my car -- cover up, of course -- hoping someone of like mind will join me in a hearty discussion of economics, incentives, and "the hidden side of everything," my knowledge of which amounts to what I could glean from the first hundred or so pages of the book. #entertainment
Shorthand Nov 14, 2008
My aunt Mary Jane has a collection of hand-written recipes, sloppily and confusingly encoded in some sort of cryptic alien shorthand.  Apparently, schools used to teach students how to write in shorthand, thus saving time and energy and making everything secretive and weird (though Isaac Newton wrote his scientific findings in shorthand, so that lends a little credibility to it).  Thankfully, Wikipedia has a detailed description, history, and list of the various types, or languages, of shorthand.  Looking at some of the examples (like Melin and Pitman) is like trying to decipher hieroglyphics. #language
First time driving here Nov 14, 2008
It's hard to drive confidently when it's your first time in the area.  You're looking for road signs, trying not to break any major laws, and attempting to be safe.  You tend to drive slower than usual, use your brakes a little more than necessary, and just generally be more cautious because the surroundings are unfamiliar.  Maybe you just moved into a new house, or you're trying to find a place to eat, or you're meeting up with a friend, or you're taking the long way home.  Whatever the case may be, there's a nonzero chance that any moment of any day will be someone's first time driving somewhere. 

But for whatever reason, I feel like a disproportionately large number of first-time-in-the-area drivers have a tendency to drive directly in front of me. #travel
Stealing kids (3) Nov 13, 2008
As a married couple with plans to eventually have kids, Wendy and I sometimes think about stealing one that's already born, to save us the trouble of pregnancy and hospital bills and things like that.  The thought usually crosses our mind at places like churches, which are ripe with children.  We'll see one that's about one or two years old and say to each other, "We could just take this one.  Look, it already walks and says funny things.  We could just steal it and walk out, and I bet nobody would even notice."  So far we haven't gone through with any plans, but we're still looking. 

On a related note, Wendy helps out in the toddler room at church, where she persuades two-year-olds to not hit each other and to keep objects out of their mouths.  After the church service, parents show up to pick up their kids, and the process is similar to a puppy adoption at a pet store.  I join in the fun by saying things like, "I'll take that cute little one with the blond hair.  Ooh, and maybe that one with the overalls."  I try not to do this too soon after I've shaved my head so I don't appear to be too much of a psycho. #psychology
Rhino weapon Nov 13, 2008
Have you ever wanted to see a picture of an elephant beating up lions by swinging around a rhino by the tail? 
[Image: brevity20081112.gif]
There you go.  This is why Brevity is a great comic. #entertainment
Data vs. datum Nov 12, 2008
Technically, the word "data" is the plural of the word "datum," though the former is often used as both the singular and the plural, as in, "The data suggests something" and "New data have arisen."  In everyday usage, you sound smarter if you treat data as a plural. #language
Expired political signs Nov 12, 2008
I think all those jerks who littered our roads and highways with political signs should be forced to pick up all their stupid trash instead of just leaving it around to remind us of who ran in the recent presidential election.  We remember.  Now pick up your stupid signs, jerks. 

Similar to loser bumper stickers. #politics
Orange on blue Nov 11, 2008
#entertainment