I was listening to the traffic report on KCRW this morning, and realized the background music sounded familiar. I thought about it, and realized that it was the instrumental track from Aimee Mann’s song, “Nothing is Good Enough.”
Category: Life
Assault via Battery?
Received the replacement battery for the PowerBook yesterday. It was shipped out via DHL, with a prepaid return label for shipping the old battery back via regular mail.
Last night I drained the old battery, plugged the new one in, and packaged up the recalled one in the box. At lunch today I went to the post office to send it off.
As I was walking up the steps, I remembered the “Does this package contain anything liquid, explosive, or otherwise hazardous?” question that postal clerks are required to ask. If you’re mailing a defective battery that could theoretically burst into flames, how exactly are you supposed to answer?
I figured it would be best not to joke about it.
As it was, I just said it was a laptop battery straight out, so the question didn’t come up.
Dear George: Why I’m not buying the Star Wars Limited Edition DVDs
I grew up with Star Wars. It was the key fandom of my childhood. I don’t remember discovering Star Wars because I did so before I could really form long-term memories. I started reading the novels when Heir to the Empire came out, and the Dark Empire and Tales of the Jedi comics. I was thrilled to see the special editions in theaters after nearly 15 years, even though some of the changes, like Greedo firing first and the way that you restored the Jabba scene,* didn’t make sense.
And while I’ve lost some interest over time—the novels and comics have gotten so complex that I wouldn’t have time to keep up with them if I wanted to, and the prequels were less engaging than the original series—I stayed on board for the entire prequel trilogy. Grumbling at times, but enjoying them nonetheless.
When you announced that only the special editions would be available on videotape, I was disappointed, because I liked both versions. When you announced that the films would be changed again for the DVDs, I was disappointed for the same reason. But I bought the DVDs, and (mostly) enjoyed them.
So when you announced that the original versions of the original trilogy would be available on DVD, I was thrilled! Continue reading
C is for Coffee
NPR’s Morning Edition ran a story on finding the perfect balance of caffeine. Apparently as little as 100mg—typical for a 6-ounce cup of coffee—is enough to give most people a lift. Depending on tolerance, anxiety and jitters start showing up as early as 200mg.
And yes, a cup of plain coffee has more caffeine than a shot of espresso.
The story was followed by one looking at why children have so much more energy than their elders. One of the biologists they interviewed was Michael Rose, an evolutionary biologist at UCI. I actually took a class from him once, on an evolutionary approach to explain the aging process. His take on it is that youthful energy is all about exploring the world and filling up your brain. Once you’re an adult, you don’t need to explore as much. It also means you take fewer risks, increasing your odds of survival.
I Voted for Kodos
No comment on the candidate, since I don’t live in the city, just… is anyone else reminded of these guys?
Image from The Duff Brewery. [edit: no longer online] Incidentally, while looking for a page on “Citizen Kang,” I discovered that “I Voted for Kodos” is also the name of a band.
Eat here—we have no taste!
I’m not sure what annoys me more about this ad: the fact that the joke is tasteless (which is an oddly appropriate phrase, considering it’s about food), or the fact that it’s equating something they serve (the mustard) with urine.
“Come here, our mustard tastes like piss!” Yeah, that’s encouraging.
Spotted on September 10.
Terrorism in Comics
I wasn’t going to post anything about the five-year anniversary of 9/11 because I didn’t feel like I could add anything that hasn’t already been said. But a discussion at Comics Should Be Good reminded me of a mailing list post I made five years ago, on September 17, 2001, on the subject of terrorism in comics. After rereading it, I’ve decided it’s worth reposting: Continue reading