random facts girl

In today’s decision to uphold Proposition 8, the California Supreme Court justices were just doing their job. I can’t fault them, as they were working within the boundaries of the legislation they have been handed over the years. Remember, the California Supreme Court started this in the first place by ruling that same sex marriage was legal over a year ago.

But even though the decision upholds legalized discrimination, it’s not quite clear if it can be enforced. Why? No single legal definition – or even medical definition – exists defining what is a “man” and what is a “woman.” And it is for good reason: no one definition can apply in all possible circumstances.

While sex and gender are the most common ways to refer to male-ness and female-ness, and there are other ways as well. But when asked to define a man and a woman, most people first respond with the obvious physical traits – the biological basis of what is man and what is woman. In the following discussion, I’ll investigate what biological traits can be used to discriminate between men and women, and how they might have difficulties being applied in a discrete fashion that can be to legally determine if an individual is a man or a woman.

What it comes down to: SEX.
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I came across this gem that plays like a 1970s British mashup of Mythbusters and How Things Work when, for some reason, I was looking for info on how washing machines work today. And although it clearly explains how washing machines work, it gives you so much more.

They stage a car rollover in perhaps the clearest description of how solenoids work I’ve ever seen. In describing how the various components work they build special effects equipment, cut about 20 washing machines in half, and include various other Mythbusters-like goodies… and when the narrator gets hit in the face by water, I can’t help but imagine how hilarious it would be were there a British version of Mythbusters, with Adam’s analogue responding in that stoic British fashion…. although Jaime is stoic in his own way, it would be vastly entertaining to see a more impetuous hacker forced to deal with the outcomes of his rash actions in the stoic fashion expected in British culture.

In the historical overview of how we clean our clothes, we learn about women’s liberation – and get to see naked pirates.

The last five minutes or so address how the technology involved in producing washing machines had changed in “recent” years. They compare how And in one of the earliest discussions I’ve found surrounding gadgets/technology and sustainability, I’ve found perhaps my favorite quote thus far of the year:

“The modern engineering would probably horrify pre-war engineers who worshipped quality, not economy.”

And the reggae version of Dave Brubek’s “Take Five” at the end is a nice touch.

In all, it’s a fascinating watch – if you’re a technology geek like me who never got to take shop class or study electrical engineering but loves to figure out how things work, it’s 25 minutes well spent.

One fine afternoon a few weeks ago, I was multitasking with daytime tv on providing a background when I heard a familiar voice say “Hi… it’s Vince with SlapChop.”

Yes, folks, when I looked up, it was our good friend Vince of infomercial and prostitute battery fame – you know, the spiky-haired guy with the power leave women almost speechless, able to say nothing but “ShamWow.”

And yes, my friends, I admit – the ShamWow guy left me speechless when I watched this commercial for the first time.

Not only does he have the ability to leave women saying only “ShamWow,” but we’re “all gonna love his nuts”… and he can do it with just one finger too. And not just that… he’s “gonna make America skinny – one slap at a time.”

Yup, I was speechless for three whole days pondering what was either sheer brillance on the part of the SlapChop marketing team, or the sheer luck they had if they hired him before his arrest.

And today, while poking through the blog of fellow okonomiyaki snob Cooking With Sean, one of my new favorite foodie blogs, I came across this. And I really… just… I…

Nope, there’s nothing more I can say.

I was recently heartened to learn that Illinois once again has access to the malty, hoppy nectar of the gods that is Bell’s beer. No longer must you cross state lines in search of your Oberon or Double Cream Stout, Illinoisians. For that I salute you… and am starting to think moving back to Chicago might not be such a bad idea.

But I love San Francisco. Even with the ridiculously high rents, the permafog and the crazy old ladies carrying live chickens in brown paper bags on the bus, there are very few things that could tear me away.

And Bell’s is that good. Yes, it’s so good that anytime I go back to the midwest, I take an extra suitcase to fill with 6-packs. And I always end up trying to sneak past with a bag that’s over the allowable luggage weight, so I’ve learned to force my mother to park at the airport and accompany me to the check-in counter – in the event that I need to sacrifice a few bottles from the overstuffed, oversized suitcase to make it on the flight, I know that they’ll find a good home.

So now that Bell’s has made it back to Illinois, I’ll no longer need to abscond with my mother’s car to drive in a blizzard over to Indiana and pick up my annual stash replenishment… but I’ll still be forced to hoard my stash, parceling out bottles to those I deem worthy of the rich brown elixr throughout the year.

So, in the spirit vested in me by the news of Bell’s return to Illinois, I entreat you to join me in finding a way to bring the Third Coast to the West Coast – let’s get some Bell’s Beer in our local bars and spirits retailers. And let me walk down the street to pick up a six-pack of Bell’s Amber instead of traveling halfway across the country to replenish my ever-dwindling stash.

Are you in?

How drastically would the world change were comic sans to disappear from the face of the earth tomorrow?

see more Funny Graphs

see more Funny Graphs

An ER doctor at a hospital in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood just reported the first confirmed cases of swine flu in Illinois. When asked for if the patients smelled of bacon, the unofficial response was “The ER smells like a lot of things, but bacon is not one of them.”

This is for real, though… more details to come.

A note to those developing websites based on databases of scientific information aimed at engaging the public: enough with the acronyms.

Unless the acronym spells out something easily recalled AND directly related to the topic at hand – even if the acronym spells a commonly-used (but unrelated) word – it will likely be viewed as jargon.

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After 15 years of waiting, The State, the greatest sketch comedy show of all time, in all of its absurdist glory, is finally being released on DVD on July 14th, 2009. Well, kinda.

In the past 15 years, I’ve spent far too much time searching for grainy 3rd generation videotapes, CIF-resolution mpgs, and any other type of copy I can get my hands on.

Then, when episodes of The State were released on iTunes a couple of years ago, some of the sketches were mutilated – an inability to obtain the rights to the music so integral to the skits resulted in overdubbing and otherwise replacing what was possibly the most brilliant fusion of popular music and comedy in the history of the world.

So I avoided purchasing the videos on youtube in the hope that one day – maybe, just maybe – the DVD release would restore the gestalt of the episodes.

And finally, the DVD is being released… but it turns out there’s still a problem with the music.
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