January 31, 2004
Movie Reviews
Alright, new movie reviews.
The Man Without a Past
Westworld
January 30, 2004
Deals on Cars
This car site is recommended by quite a few financial magazines. It’s interesting to see they types of deals you can get.
New TVs
This artical offers a quick overview of LCD vs. Plasma and provides info on pricing.
Is Minnesota cold?
Here's a sign that Minnesota is too cold. The Ice Palace was closed because it was too cold. This morning it was 24 below zero, keep in mind that this is without wind chill.
Pork Skins
A coworker is tring the Atkins diet and wanted something to snack on. I suggested pork rinds. I've never actually had them but had heard that they had no carbs. She bought a bag of them and has stared at them for the last week. This morning I had the pleasure of trying them. They're not that bad. A little too airy for my taste.
I do like the retro Fried Pork Skins logo on the bag. However, I'm not so sure that they were trying to be retro when they designed it.
January 29, 2004
Small viewers
MB is looking for a few of these. Let me know if you see any. There were four different versions of these viewers that were part of either an 1989 or 1990 Rescuers Down Under Happy Meal set.
Free Movie
Just received free tickets to The Butterfly Effect. Looks like I will be seeing that movie after all.
As the email I received indicated.
It was last weeks #1 movie at the box office and the worst reviewed film of the year.
Haircut?
So, here's my problem. I need to get a haircut but it's -15 degrees outside with a windchill of -33. Something in my head won't let me get a cut.
January 28, 2004
Snack Machines and Lunch
I had to buy two packs of Twizzlers because the first one wouldn't fall. Usually I'm good about judging if a snack will fall.
Also, I noticed that Snickers now has more nuts. Who wants that? I want more chocolate, caramel, or nuget whatever that is.
And while I'm at it, luch today was:
Two large tomatoes
Snack sized bag of Doritos
Twizzlers
Popcorn
Under Cover Car Salesmen
An interesting read about a reporter that goes undercover as a salesman in the car industry. So far I've only read about a quarter of the article.
Movie Reviews
Movies seen last weekend.
* = in theater
Big Fish*
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
The 6th Day
Johnny Mnemonic
Movies seen the week before
A Mighty Wind
Knockaround Guys
Bruce Almighty
Movies seen a few weeks ago
House of Sand and Fog*
Cold Colors
Keep in mind that it's -3 degrees outside with a windchill of -20. On the way to work this morning I saw a rainbow. That is the coldest rainbow I've ever seen.
January 23, 2004
January 22, 2004
Where's the Wall Street Journal
I haven't read the Wall Street Journal all week. It apears that the office has stopped ording a copy. Or someone is beating me to the paper and walking off with it.
Shoelace Issues
So, part of my shoelace is broken. It's actually the covering of the shoe lace that is broken; the ropy inside is still intact. I believe this happened to an identical pair of shoes that I had before this one. Yes, I bought the very same shoes. I also remember having a hard time finding replacement shoelaces. No one seems to want to sell standard brown shoelaces. I might have to buy a different shoe next time. The whole broken shoelace thing is annoying. It has something to do with the way the lace rub on the eyelets.
January 20, 2004
January 16, 2004
Dream Home Giveaway
HGTV has started taking entries for it's Dream Home Giveaway. Who wouldn't want to win a one million dollar house? Except for the fact that I couldn't afford to keep it.
Home & Garden Television: Dream Home
January 15, 2004
Online IQ Test
I just took an IQ test online. They seemed to have hit the nail on the head.
Congratulations, Jeff!
Your IQ score is 131
This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others.
Your Intellectual Type is Visual Mathematician.
This means you are gifted at spotting patterns — both in pictures and in numbers. These talents combined with your overall high intelligence make you good at understanding the big picture, which is why people trust your instincts and turn to you for direction — especially in the workplace.
Late Night Surprise
So, just before 1AM this morning we were woken up by the sound of the doorbell. At first neither MB nor I knew why we were awake. A quick glance out the window confirmed that there was a very bright light being shined on our house. For an instant I though that maybe we had won some type of prize. Then the fact that it was 1 in the morning and there was a police car outside sunk in. I quickly put on some pants and went to the front door.
I was greeted by two firemen who indicated that they had been sent because a neighbor had called because they had smelled gas in the neighborhood. As soon as they said that I realized that I could smell gas. Not having put on any slippers my left foot was getting cold standing on the front steps.
The firemen indicated that they were glad that we had answered the door since in situations involving gas you don't want to receive no response. They continued to search the yard for a few minutes and indicated that the gas seemed to be coming from the side of the house. They then asked to check the house, specifically the basement. They did a quick check upstairs and then proceeded to the basement. They crawled through the crawl space and checked where the gas line enters the house and found no signs of gas.
They did a few more checks outside while they waited of the gas company to come and check on the situation. They then received a call that indicated that it would be another hour until the gas company would arrive. So they had us sign paper work that indicated that they had been there and left. By now it was 2AM.
So we watched some late night cartoons and waited for the gas company to arrive. They arrived at about 10 minutes to 3AM. He performed a few checks on the meter outside and indicated that there was a small leak there. He then came in and performed a few checks in the basement. Everything was normal in the house.
He let me know that the meter on the house would need to be repaired. They would most likely be by in two to three days. Apparently gas leaks are often noticed in the winter since the smells carry farther.
So, that's why I'm tired today.
January 07, 2004
#2 apartment layout
Since I've already posted one. Here's the layout of my second apartment.
Floor Plan A - 860 sq. ft.
Lucky day
My day is looking up. Who needs to win the lotto when the CHIEF ACCOUNTANT OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AVIATION of LAGOS, NIGERIA wants to give me 3-4 million dollars for simply transferring money?
Thank you DR EGO ADAMU. You have truly made my day.
January 06, 2004
Brass Monkey
Thanks to historian Al Siegel:
It was necessary to keep a good supply of canon balls near the cannon on war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the problem. The best storage method devised was to stack them as a square based pyramid, with one ball on top, resting on four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon.
There was only one problem -- how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding/rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate with 16 round indentations, called a Monkey. But if this plate was made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make Brass Monkeys.
Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey And all this time, you thought that was a vulgar expression, didn't you?
January 05, 2004
Hungry
It's a good thing I had a breakfast bar left in my desk otherwise it would have been taco sause and salt for a mid-morning snack.
January 03, 2004
Idler Pully
The Saturn needed a new Idler Pulley. One of the bearings was making a horrible grinding noise.
January 01, 2004
Theory for Dramatic Evolutionary Change
Theory for Dramatic Evolutionary Change
Dramatic changes in a species evolutionary chain are possible through the relaxing of environmental pressures on a species. A period of relaxed pressures (ex. increased availability of food, reduced predators, improved climate) allow a population to increase in size and genetic variation. When environmental pressures return to a higher level the population will quickly decline. The decline will reduce the number of genetic variants and allow new variants to dominate the reduced population. Older genetic variants will no longer be suitable and will be eliminated. This change creates what appears to be a dramatic change in the species evolution.