Entertaining commercials (1) Dec 10, 2009
DVRs killed advertising because nobody will watch commercials when they can simply skip them altogether.  I see this as an entirely good thing because it means advertisers will need to change their tactics.  They'll do this by either (a) becoming over-the-top, in-your-face, obnoxiously annoying so that no one can possibly ignore them, or (b) by creating more entertaining commercials.  I've seen a little of (a), and those companies are immediately discounted.  But I've been seeing more and more of option (b) lately, which means I've actually been watching more commercials simply for entertainment.  That's the case with the unintentional faces commercial, and pretty much anything with Peyton Manning.  But as with most repeated things, each viewing is less and less enjoyable, until I resort to skipping the commercials again.  The solution to this would be to make many different variations of entertaining commercials.  For example, I might pay attention to one specific Peyton Manning commercial once, but make 10 different Peyton Manning commercials and I'd pay attention a lot more often. #entertainment
Adult braces (2) Dec 10, 2009
I feel bad for adults who decide to get braces.  Most of the rest of us dealt with all that when we were awkward teenagers, when life was messed up to begin with, so the added annoyance of braces was like an inevitable rite of passage.  But adults with braces have to sort of adjust their life temporarily to this new facial contraption that's impossible for people to ignore.  So every conversation includes an explanation of why they decided to get braces, and every picture shows them awkwardly trying not to show their teeth when they smile.  Plus, there's the tendency to associate braces with teenagerhood, which means there's no way anybody will take you seriously. #health
Renewable trees Dec 10, 2009
Trees are a renewable resource*, i.e. if you cut one down, you can simply plant a new one.  Sure, it has to grow to the right size before it can be cut down and used again, but the principle is there.  That's why I don't feel incredibly bad about wasting paper.  It's not that I'm out to waste as much as possible, but I'm not overly concerned about the prospect of running out of trees.  Plus, paper is biodegradable.  So while it may sit in a landfill for a little while (if it's not recycled), it'll eventually break down into some pretty simple components and disappear into nothingness. 

That being said, forests aren't a renewable resource, and that's where the problem lies.  If I cut down a tree, I can plant a new one.  If I cut down a forest, I kill all the inhabitants and destroy the ecosystem, and that's not good for anybody.  So while I'm not concerned about using trees for paper and wood, I am concerned about where those trees come from and how many are left in place.  However, this is all outside my sphere of influence, so I guess I can't really do much by being concerned. 

*I generally don't like linking to user-contributed answer sites, but this one was written intelligently and concisely. #science
Immediate discount Dec 9, 2009
I showed up to a thing in a faraway place recently and this guy asked me what route I had taken to get there.  I said something like (and this will only make sense to Jerseyites), "80 to 287 to 24 to 78 to the Parkway."  How did I know that combination of roads off the top of my head?  Because that's how you get everywhere in New Jersey when you live where I live and go where I tend to go.  Sure, you could take a bunch of stupid backroads and go 25 mph through towns and traffic lights, but the absolute quickest way to get from my house to pretty much anywhere is on major highways.  And in my little world, that's really not up for debate.  I'm not open to new ideas about this.  I've tried some different options, but I've made up my mind, and I'm sticking to it.  So the guy says, "Oh, you should've taken 80 to 287 to 27 to Main Street to Stupid Road.  That's the quickest way."  It might've been a product of this "type" of guy (argumentative, annoying), but right when he said that, I immediately discounted him and decided to never listen to another thing he said.  So far it's been working out well for me, though I can't be completely sure because I stopped listening to him. 

The same thing happened recently when I filled out a health risk questionnaire online.  I inputted my height and weight, and I was promptly and simply told that I was overweight.  I've been called many offensive things in my life, such as "scrawny," "pasty," and "furry," but "overweight" has never been one of them.  And while I admit that I've gained a good 15 lbs in the past five years, I absolutely refuse to think of myself as overweight.  That being said, I immediately discounted anything else this stupid questionnaire had to offer (such as the never-before-heard "diet and exercise") and finished it as quickly as possible. 

It's not that I won't discuss differing opinions with people or won't accept new ideas, it's that I've made up my mind on certain simple issues, and if someone or something tries to disagree with me, I'll stop listening.  I think that's fair. #psychology
Airport psychology Dec 9, 2009
As I was standing in the security line at Newark Airport last week, I was in a rush.  Or at least I felt like I was in a rush.  In fact, I was well over an hour early for my flight, but I felt compelled to try to rush through security and get to my gate, where I would sit and wait and be annoyed at how long it took for my plane to board.  I don't know if it's all the people who are actually in a rush, or the cold, oppressive feeling of being in a linoleum and stainless steel airport, or if it has something to do with the militaristic TSA people, but there's just something about being in an airport that makes me nervous and anxious. 

Jump ahead to my return flight from Tampa, FL, and things were different.  I don't know if it was because the airport was carpeted, or the TSA people were nicer (they were), or because I wouldn't have minded missing my flight and staying in Florida a little longer, but I didn't feel like I was in a rush.  I even got pulled aside for the private "stand in a futuristic booth while some gizmo rotates around your body" security screening, and I had a wonderful time.  I even made a joke to one of the TSA people, who responded to me in a semi-human manner.  Come to think of it, there weren't as many people in line with me, and there was Christmas music playing in the background.  I was whistling along with the Christmas music.  How can you not? 

This experience brings to mind the idea of airport psychology.  It seems obvious that airports could do a few things to ease the tension experienced by travelers.  Paint the walls in calming colors.  Play some music.  Make those TSA idiots smile at least once per day.  In the world of "we'll treat you like a criminal until a strip-search proves otherwise," it would be nice to feel calm and relaxed every once in a while. #travel
Descriptive product names Dec 9, 2009
Four overly descriptive product names: 
  1. Snot sucker
  2. Urinal cake
  3. Puke bucket
  4. Poop candle
You're welcome. #products
Unintentional faces (1) Dec 8, 2009
This American Express commercial is one that I actually watch every time it comes on.  It features a bunch of sad faces on everyday objects, followed by a bunch of happy faces on everyday objects, supposedly made happy by using a credit card.  Ok, so the main idea of the commercial is stupid, but the artwork is pretty impressive.  I just can't help thinking of the person whose job it was to find all those faces.  What a cool job. 

More faces on this Flickr set (via Boing Boing), this gallery, and What The Face. 

The practice of finding faces in everyday objects is an example of the psychological phenomenon of pareidolia.  Other examples include seeing animals in clouds and finding Jesus on your Pop Tart. #entertainment
Late and early Dec 4, 2009
I was on a flight yesterday that was delayed in taking off, then reached its final destination ahead of the originally scheduled time.  I'm pretty sure we passed through a wormhole. #travel
Barbados flag Dec 4, 2009
As much as I disliked my experience in Barbados, I have to admit they have a cool flag. 
[Image: barbadosflag.png]
#travel
Smooth earth Dec 4, 2009
From Ripley's and verified:  "If shrunk down to the size of a billiard ball, the earth would be about as smooth as one!  Surface variations, such as mountains and the ocean floor, are less than 1/1000th of its diameter."  Mount Everest at 8.85 km and the Marianas Trench at -11 km are inconsequential to a 12,735 km earth. #science
« Older Newer »