Category Archives: the usual drivel

I don’t know where else to put this stuff

The Rubik’s Cube thinks you’re stupid

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I’m not sure how the maker’s of the Rubik’s Cube expect the general public to solve their puzzle, because they don’t believe you plebeians can even understand large numbers. According to the Wikipedia entry:

A Normal (3×3×3) Rubik’s Cube can have (8! × 38−1) × (12! × 212−1)/2 = 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 different positions (permutations), or about 4.3 × 1019, forty-three quintillion, but the puzzle is advertised as having only “billions” of positions, due to the general incomprehensibility of such a large number to laymen.

Top 2 Business Cards of All Time

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Odie gave me this one the other day. I don’t know what happens if you call that number, but the web page, scottyiseri.com, is for a Chicago based comedy rock act, which seems similar to Liam Lynch.


Jim Dandy and I met this guy in the Berkeley hills while scoping out a record-laden yard sale. JD bought a car from him, and his wife gave me a Coke for the road. As you can tell from the card, he’s a real character.

Benevolent Dictator

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I just finished playing the Climate Challenge game at the BBC website, where you take over as president of the EU for 100 years to save the world from SUV’s and the like. Here are the results of my iron fist:

Environment:
During your presidency, Europe emitted a very low level of carbon emissions, which is likely to result in global temperatures increasing by 1.4-2.6°C. You substantially outperformed a mid-line forecast for carbon dioxide emissions created by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC). Well done!

Wealth:
You left the economy in ruins. Hyper-inflation and joblessness are endemic across Europe. People are starving and crime and lawlessness have taken hold. Extremists have become more influential and threaten to undo any good you did during your presidency.

Popularity:
You were the most popular leader most voters could remember and aimed to please when selecting policies. Some critics said that you did so only to avoid tackling difficult issues, but their voices were drowned out by the crowd.

Now that’s the sign of a good ruler! People love you even though they’re starving!

Things I miss about the Bay Area

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Continuing what Odie and I started yesterday by email…

#1: In ‘N Out Burger
#2: Burritos
#3: Oakland Athletics
#4: Smoke free bars
#5: Public transit running on time
#6: Amoeba Music
#7: Copious food options close to work
#8: The temperature on February 3: 68 F
#9: 3 hours to Tahoe
#10: Mass at Newman
#11: The Box
#12: Calzones from Trader Joe’s
#13: The Bay Trail
#14: Crazy art at Albany Waterfront Park
#15: Eucalyptus grove
#16: Happy Happy Guy
#17: KQED
#18: Columns with frits
#19: Recycling
#20: 2 hours to Monterrey
#21: The Golden Gate
#22: No salt on my car
#23: Pet Food Express
#24: Saturday Mets games starting at 10 am
#25: Berkeley cars

Get out of my head!

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This has been a banner day for songs stuck in my head. First it was Ricky Martin. Then the theme song from “Charles in Charge,” followed by the Macarena. Finally, the Spice Girls. If there’s an area of research that I want funded in this country, it’s to find the part of the brain responsible for having a song stuck in it, and develop a procedure which disables it without harming the rest of the brain. Now that’s something we should spend our tax dollars on. Seriously, I wonder how much productivity is lost by people distracting others by singing or humming these horribly catchy songs.

Long lost post: Potential last conversations

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This is a post I started a few months ago, but for some reason, I never published it. Enjoy.

Apparently Odie was on a plane sitting next to a guy who’s job was making those little tags at the end of teabags. He then prayed that the plane wouldn’t crash.

I thought that was a good course of action. I mean, if the plane crashed, and that guy died, how would people pull their teabags out of their tea? Or know what flavor tea they were drinking?

Of course, Odie just didn’t want his last conversation on Earth to be with the guy who makes the little tags at the end of teabags.

Why We Fight

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[Why We Fight] This is what Fahrenheit 9/11 could have been. Eugene Jarecki solicits interviews from a retired NYPD cop who lost a son in 9/11, retired CIA and Pentagon officials, a prospective Army soldier, descendants of Eisenhower, a defense contractor, a neo-con think tank member, Senator John McCain, and historians for an objective piece on the role of the military in US policy making. Despite the inclusion of dissenting views, the result is ultimately more convincing than 9/11. It’s a must watch for all of you concerned-with-the-state-of-the-world types.

WhyWeFight.com – official site and trailer

I don’t deserve a Ph.D.

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I went to Berkeley this past week to file my thesis. I made my final corrections, collected my signatures, and headed off to the graduate division.

I was so happy, I think I was skipping across campus.

But when I met with the person in charge, it became clear that there was a problem with the title page.

I got my name wrong.

It’s not quite as bad as it sounds. I included my middle name, which was not on file with the registrar. This left me with two options: (1) reprint the title pages and collect a new round of signatures or (2) change my name with the registrar. I probably could have pulled off option 1 with some quick feet, but with the end of the semester fast approaching, I really didn’t want to take the chance. Thankfully, my new Illinois license has my full middle name, so the second option became viable. The registrar was able to do this, but the system didn’t update in time for me to file the thesis myself. Good thing I have some mighty trustworthy labmates to sort this out on Monday.

And then I’ll be a doctor.

People cheat on the written test? I’m never driving again…

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Melissa and I had our first experience with the Illinois DMV yesterday. If you ever need an IL driver’s license, Deerfield is the spot. Short lines, friendly people. I like it.

Our tale of woe from the DMV has to do with a fellow IL resident. You see, our compatriot requested a copy of the written test in English. This was strange since he didn’t understand the worker’s instructions that were spoken in English. He then sat down, filled out the exam, and returned it to the counter. Every single answer was wrong. Even recognizing a red octagon as a stop sign. The DMV worker’s theory was that he had a copy of the test at home, and that he memorized the answers for that test. However, they have multiple tests at the DMV. Our friend’s ignorance of English probably didn’t help him understand these accusations. He did know one phrase in English though. As he left, he said “I try again tomorrow.”