It was my brother’s birthday yesterday (though I mixed up the days and sent him a birthday text today…), and I know that he would have loved to get this Star Trek Enterprise Bottle Opener. Too bad that it’s not available until July.

(via Neatorama)

–

I’m Banksy. Yes, I am.

–

Tokyo Plastic Drum Machine

–

Top 25 80’s Action Show Opening Credits - This took me back. I enjoyed this post, which ranked the opening credits via the criteria of Action, Sexiness, Cheesiness, Homoeroticism and Intangibles. There were several shows that I didn’t recognise, and this list needed the Dukes of Hazzard, I don’t know how that show was missed out. I do agree with the #1 choice though.

My top 3 would have to be TJ Hooker, The A-Team and Hunter, so here they are for your enjoyment.

(I was sure that I posted this last night, but all I could find today was a earlier draft version which I’ve amended from memory - sorry if you’ve already seen this via rss.)

I haven’t paid much attention to my flickr account lately, though I’ve had the odd comment or group invitation from time to time. Today I had an interesting one, the Figurehead group invited me to submit the following pic to their photo pool:

It’s the figurehead of the Cutty Sark, a clipper ship which is held in dry dock in Greenwich. She looks quite attractive from this angle, doesn’t she? All long flowing locks and pert bosoms. Interestingly, she looks quite different from the other side of the ship:

Not so pretty now, eh? I did some research and discovered that her name is Nannie, and she is a witch from a Robert Burns poem:

Tam saw that among the ugly group of witches, there was one which was young and beautiful. Her name was Nannie, and she wore only a ‘cutty sark’, a short shift. Tam was bewitched and, as her dancing became wilder, in his excitement, he cried out “Weel done cutty sark!” The witches then pursued Tam who fled for his life to the bridge over the river Doon, for he knew that witches could not cross running water. Nannie was faster than the others and, as the mare galloped over the bridge, she seized it by the tail, which came off in her hand. Hence, the figurehead is always shown holding a horse’s tail in her left hand.

You’re a cop, and you come across a random guy who’s holding something that could be a gun. How long does it take you to decide whether or not to shoot? Does the skin colour of the person matter?

This was the question asked by the University of Chicago in an online psychology test, which gives you a split-second to decide whether to shoot the guy or whether to holster your gun for an unarmed individual.

Interestingly, the results showed that black and white participants shot the armed black guys sooner than the armed white guys.

I tried the test twice, because I was confused at first about which button to press, and took a few seconds to get used to the process. The first time I scored really low because I often took too long to make a decision, but my results showed that I took less time to shoot the armed black guys than the white guys.

Strangely though, even though the second time around I wasn’t trying to game the system, just wanted to play it right, I actually shot the armed white guys quicker than the armed black guys… I’m not sure what that means but the test has reinforced the fact that I never should become a police officer, especially as I shot a few unarmed guys too…

Of course the test isn’t realistic at all, but it raises an interesting point.

(via Neatorama)

And later on I’ll check out Street Kings, just because it’s the only film that my friend and I can agree on for a Saturday night social endeavor, and besides Keanu is always fun to watch.

The other day I came across a post on Liane’s blog about a list of 1001 books which apparently must be read before we all die. I’ve only read 21 of those books so far, and only recognised the other ones which had been made into movies. The shame of it.

Thinking about it though, quite an industry has been created in the world of books and lifestyle television to extoll the importance of reading a certain 1001 books, of visiting 1001 particular places, of viewing 1001 paintings, etc. Obviously it wouldn’t be reasonable to expect someone to watch 1001 movies, but if someone were interested in doing so it would have to become their life’s work. No marriage could survive the pressure of visiting 1001 gardens or 1001 natural wonders; no normal career could accommodate such a task.

So are these books an impossible challenge or a burden? As we age will we look upon that hardback book on our coffee table and like the clich� says, regret all the things that we haven’t done? Will we really care that we haven’t swum with dolphins or read Ulysses?

Maybe I’m thinking too deeply about this issue, perhaps they are simply an easy way to experience those experiences vicariously. Instead of reading 1001 books, we can read or just dip into this single tome and feel more informed and enlightened. Instead of visiting Monét’s garden in Giverny, we can look at a double-paged spread of the Bridge over a Pool of Water Lilies, and express the notion that one day we’ll go there and see it for ourselves. Instead of going to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, we can admire her from oceans away (though I can confirm that it’s definitely not the same as seeing that little portrait in person).

In addition to what we can do in person, we are able to enjoy a sort of virtual experiencing. We can imagine ourselves in any situation, in any place which has been recorded in ink or online. There may be a time when we may not need to leave our homes to explore the world via virtual reality. Imagine it; I could visit the Grand Canyon, while Becca from Chicago checks out the Tower of London. Sounds cool, but I prefer to give my passport an airing from time to time. Real experience may be limited, but it’s never limiting. It’s the usual message of quality over quantity.

I decided to search the Itunes shop for songs entitled Before you die, and came across the following song by a guy called Mr Moods. I listened to his album and ended up buying the whole thing, it’s a chilled-out mélange of trip-hop and hip-hop.

Mr Moods: Before You Die

Are you?

I’m still thinking about the videos I posted here a few days ago. Not all of us have great bodies, a lack of inhibition, or the light skin necessary for this experience, but it does look like great fun. Or perhaps you’d like to take it outside, do it in your local club without having to show your naked torso and thighs?

Well I have the answer for you, in this tracksuit that I’ve designed, which features all the words from the Harder Faster Better Stronger song for your robotic enjoyment.

[Show as slideshow]

Optional fingerless gloves are also available. The tracksuit is available in any colour you desire, and once your order is received my team of skilled monkeys will create the dancesuit of your dreams.

I’ve found another video of a couple of sexy ladies performing their own version of the dance. Loads of the youtube commenters have been very rude about the ladies weight, but anyone can see that they aren’t overweight, they’re just normal-sized women. It’s a shame that we’re so used to seeing size zero women in the media that the average woman looks huge in comparison.

Your Score: Coriander

You scored 50% intoxication, 50% hotness, 50% complexity, and 100% craziness!

You are Coriander!

You’re subtle. So subtle that people often forget about you. You are refreshingly clean and rather odd. You’re often misunderstood. Your key word is “latent”; all your potential is wrapped up tightly until “BOOM,” one day you’re cilantro. Funky.

The Which Spice Are You Test

I almost can’t believe what I said to my friend Miguel this evening.

I basically told him that I felt like he was always wanting something from me, and that I was feeling used by him. I said that I didn’t think he was consciously doing it (to give him the benefit of the doubt) but I wasn’t happy with how things had been going in the past few months. He seemed to take it quite well.

Why did I say this to him? Well it has been festering in me for a while. At first I helped him out and didn’t say anything to him despite my annoyance, then I tried to avoid him (which was hard when he visited me at work if I didn’t answer my phone), then more recently I’ve been giving excuses, but he would try to talk his way around them.

For instance, last Friday after not contacting me for two weeks he calls me, seemingly for a catchup. When I mention that I’m not working this week he says that I can help him to conduct some research. I replied that I didn’t want to commit myself to anything, and I needed a break and wanted to go abroad if at all possible. I suggested that he ask another friend of his, and he informed me that she had told him to ask me (she must think I’m an idiot)! I should have just been frank with him and said that I didn’t want to do it, as he doesn’t take hints.

So what pushed me over the edge this evening? Well he called me to check whether I could do his research, and I said the same as before. He asked me to call him back and I told him (truthfully) that I had no credit left. Then he asked me if my email address was the same as before, and when I confirmed it he said that he wanted to send me something to work on! I just snapped.

I guess the way he acts in the next few weeks will reveal whether our friendship will last much longer. It would be a shame for a ten-year friendship to end, but I can’t tolerate his demands anymore.