I Want this Unboxing Experience on My Next iPhone

I ran across this today. Absolutely hilarious.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Wouldn't it be great to have portable black hole you could take with you anywhere? Just be careful how you use it!

Phrases to Forget

When it comes to writing a blog, paying close attention to whether or not your words resonate with your audience is key. It's not rocket science, after all, and even though some people may think it's a nightmare, you don't need to devote 24/7 of your life to it. What you do need is to always try to come up with something that is fairly unique so at the end of the day your reader can walk away feeling like they either learned something or enjoyed themselves.

I personally try to write about things that strike me as interesting on the theory that others who enjoy my writing will find it interesting as well. Occasionally, I will get an email from someone who suggests I shouldn't of said this thing or that thing, but with all due respect, it's just a blog. Get over it. Irregardless of whether you could care less or not, it ends up being just six of one and a half dozen of another. Some people will get it, and some people won't; some will be offended while others will laugh.

For instance, at this moment in time I am writing because of an article I just read listing the top 10 most annoying phrases. OMG, did I just use all of them in only three paragraphs? Absoloutely. I sure did - and a few others to boot.

And that's the name of that tune.

Aspiring Chef Dies Hours After Making Ultra-Hot Sauce for Chili-Eating Contest

OK - those who know me at all know I like hot stuff. The hotter the better, usually. But I am also quick to point out that I don't just like hot for the sake of hot. If there is no flavor to go along with it, I'm not interested.

Only 2 or 3 times in my life have I actually embarked on a hotter-than-hell epicurean experience and regretted it. Usually I just revel in the endorphin high that comes from eating hot stuff in much the same way a runner gets his or her endorphins going after a good run. Of course eating very spicy foods is not for the feint of heart, and one should always be prepared by putting a roll of toilet paper in the fridge over night.

And then there's this guy:

In a feat worthy of a posthumous Darwin award, he gives his girlfriend's brother a spoonful (which would probably be enough to get most people to down a gallon of milk directly from a cow's utter if necessary). But no, this guy eats a plateful - a frickin' plateful - of his own homemade concoction that, just after tasting, caused him to say "Wow, that's hot."

Shortly after consuming the liquid fire, he starts to itch all over and then he dies in his sleep.

To be fair, it might not have been the hot sauce that caused his death, but it certainly couldn't have helped. To paraphrase the Mythbusters: I'm a professional. Do not try this at home. EVER!


Read the news story about his suicide by hot sauce here.

Watching Ike and Wasting Time Until The Power Goes Out Again

So we are getting caught up on some TV, and doing a little web surfing - all while paying more than passing attention to that thing called Ike out in the Gulf. The winds have kicked up here, and since Ike has gotten much bigger and come further north than anticipated, they are now forecasting Tropical Storm force winds for here in New Orleans overnight tonight and into tomorrow. The slow moving storm has been steadily pushing water towards Louisiana, and parts of New Orleans east are already flooded in areas near the Industrial Canal. Don't worry, though - the areas are not residential and are prone to flooding during storms.

Areas outside of the levee protection area could see storm surge as high as 9 feet. This will put a terrible toll on places such as Grand Isle and southern parts of Terrebone and Lafouche parishes, which were already hit hard by Hurricane Gustav last week (which had a storm surge of 12 feet, btw). Judging by what I have seen so far, it looks like we could get an inch or two of rain here (no big deal), and I estimate a 35% chance that power will go out sometime between 1AM Friday AM and 1AM Saturday AM. The winds should die down again once Ike moves far enough north. The kicker in all this is that it is entirely possible that Dallas experiences Category 1 Hurricane force windows on Saturday evening and Sunday. I don't know if that has ever happened before.

So how about that diversion? Here is something fun to do:

According to Wikipedia, a Meme is "consists of any idea or behavior that can pass from one person to another by learning or imitation. Examples include thoughts, ideas, theories, gestures, practices, fashions, habits, songs, and dances. Memes propagate themselves and can move through the cultural sociosphere in a manner similar to the contagious behavior of a virus." Apparently, Richard Dawkins coined the term in his book The Selfish Game (1976). I'll let you follow the links to learn more about him and the origin of the word "meme."

I really have no idea how this is supposed to work, but "The Food Meme" has spread virally among many blogs out there. I can't see much value in it except that a). I was surprised at all the things I have tried (and how many things aren't on my "don't try" or "don't try again" lists); and b). that by publishing the list, I suppose you, my gentle readers (as Asminov would say), learns a bit more about me. So, without further ado, "The Food Meme," complete with instructions on how you can participate on your own, if you so choose.

The Food tasting meme

1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you.ve eaten.
3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating (or eating again)
4. Optional extra: Post a comment http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

To make the filling out of this form and generating the HTML for it a bit easier, someone named reddywhp has played around with some PHP. Go to http://reddywhip.org/lj/foods/ and fill it out there. After filling it out, you will be given the code to copy and paste into your blog.

Livejournal users, remember to use your LJ-Cuts (whatever that means)!

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frog's Legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake