About 20 years ago I swore off chicken mcnuggets for good. Every time I ate them I felt bad afterward, not to mention they didn't really taste very good. As a matter of fact, I got some for lunch one day and said a quick prayer before digging in, "Dear God, please don't let these kill me." I proceeded to bite into one only to discover that it was a chunk of breaded fat. I couldn't find any actual meat in it. That's what caused me to swear them off forever.
Some of you may have already guessed where this is going, and you're right. I took my life into my hands yesterday and strolled down to the ghetto McDonalds on 3rd & Pike. Luckily I didn't see any drug deals or police activity, nor was I harrassed by the Scientologist next door. It wasn't all good news, though, the creepy cross dresser was working that day. But I digress. I went there with the best of intentions - to get a nice healthy grilled chicken bacon ranch salad. That's when I fell victim to marketing. I saw the huge sign saying that 20 piece mcnuggets were only $5 and thought, what the hell. Obviously they didn't kill me, and I'm happy to report no ill effects to my digestive system. And I'm happy to report that the chicken to mystery ingredient ratio has improved drastically. However I was reminded that they still don't taste very good and I can now go another 20 years without eating them.
Now that I've conquored that fear, Kentucky Fried Chicken - or KFC as they now refer to themselves since the presence of actual chicken in their food is questionable - is trying to lure me back. That's another place that I only visit every 3-4 years as that is the approximate amount of time required for me to forget how unbelievably greasy their chicken is. But they keep advertising 4 extra pieces of chicken free in their buckets, and I struggle to resist the lure of free food. Since I have been there within the last year to try the infamous Double Down, however, I may have been there too recently to fall for it.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
No Place Like Dome
I don't know why, but as a kid I always wanted to live in a geodesic dome. Now that I'm all growed up, they seem wildly impractical. There ia very little, if any curved back furniture so furnishing one would be problematic unless you only placed things up against interior walls. Still, I see one right next to 520 in Clyde Hill on a daily basis and there are still days when I would at least like a tour.
*Edited to add pictures for your enjoyment.
*Edited to add pictures for your enjoyment.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Last night I sat down to watch The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. It's a documentary about product placement, marketing and advertising. Completely funded by product placement, marketing and advertising.
Let me start by saying that I find the concept completely brilliant, but I've seen brilliant concepts before that failed miserably in execution. Fortunately Morgan Spurlock, best known for Supersize me, followed through here. He begins with a discussion and demonstration of how product placement deals are made, allowing the viewer to sit in on negotiations with ad execs. I found this particularly interesting, notably the reluctance of any companies to sign a deal until some other companies are on board first, as well as the concern as to how their brand would be portrayed. Many marketers seemed overly concerned that Morgan would make the company look bad, despite the fact that they would be paying his salary.
In the second act, the documentary moves on to a discussion of the ubiquity of advertising in society, it's psychological effect, and it's effectiveness. One marketing firm went so far as to administer MRIs to subject while showing them various ads in order to view the effects on the brain. I had no idea that so much effort went into selling me products.
What really made this movie most enjoyable, though, was Morgan Spurlock's humor. Even during negotiations he wasn't afraid to crack jokes and keep things light. It was laugh out loud funny at times and contained more humor than a lot of comedies. It is well worth an hour and a half of your time.
In the extras on the DVD, Morgan Spurlock asked a lot of people what their favorite commercial of all time was. Some people mentioned the famous Apple 1984 ad. Others the Coke ad where Mean Joe Green gives a kid his jersey. Others the Wendy's 'where's the beef' ads. For me, however, hands down the best commercial ever made was the Tivo ad starring Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott. I still use the phrase 'boy howdy' from time to time as a result.
Let me start by saying that I find the concept completely brilliant, but I've seen brilliant concepts before that failed miserably in execution. Fortunately Morgan Spurlock, best known for Supersize me, followed through here. He begins with a discussion and demonstration of how product placement deals are made, allowing the viewer to sit in on negotiations with ad execs. I found this particularly interesting, notably the reluctance of any companies to sign a deal until some other companies are on board first, as well as the concern as to how their brand would be portrayed. Many marketers seemed overly concerned that Morgan would make the company look bad, despite the fact that they would be paying his salary.
In the second act, the documentary moves on to a discussion of the ubiquity of advertising in society, it's psychological effect, and it's effectiveness. One marketing firm went so far as to administer MRIs to subject while showing them various ads in order to view the effects on the brain. I had no idea that so much effort went into selling me products.
What really made this movie most enjoyable, though, was Morgan Spurlock's humor. Even during negotiations he wasn't afraid to crack jokes and keep things light. It was laugh out loud funny at times and contained more humor than a lot of comedies. It is well worth an hour and a half of your time.
In the extras on the DVD, Morgan Spurlock asked a lot of people what their favorite commercial of all time was. Some people mentioned the famous Apple 1984 ad. Others the Coke ad where Mean Joe Green gives a kid his jersey. Others the Wendy's 'where's the beef' ads. For me, however, hands down the best commercial ever made was the Tivo ad starring Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott. I still use the phrase 'boy howdy' from time to time as a result.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuna Tang
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
HDR Photography
I recently downloaded an HDR photography application for my new phone which takes 3 pictures at different exposures and then combines them into one image. Theoretically this should create more vibrant colors and things won't be hidden in shadows. I was playing around with it a little at lunch time today and this is the result.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Suck For Luck
I've got a couple new money making ideas for you. I've been watching the Seahawks and wondering why in the world Pete Carroll has been starting the completely horrible Tarvaris Jackson. I'm convinced that it's a plan to lose enough games that we can get the top pick in next year's draft and replace him with Andrew Luck. So I'm thinking about printing up some t-shirts with Jackson's picture emblazoned with the phrase Suck for Luck and selling them outside the stadium. The should go like hotcakes. Speaking of which, are hotcakes still the big seller they were in the past?
Moving on, today a coworker suffering from a cold informed me she was running across the street to Bartell's to get some Airborne. That's when inspiration struck. I now have plans to manufacture and market a cure all boldly named Placebo. The catch phrase will be, "it will cure whatever ailment you think it will." I think the general population is so willing to buy placebos already that brazenly naming it Placebo will make it irresistible. I think I will make the primary ingredient sugar for two reasons. Sugar pills have been historically used as a placebo, and also I figure the sweet taste will make it that much more pleasing to the suckers, uh, customers.
Moving on, today a coworker suffering from a cold informed me she was running across the street to Bartell's to get some Airborne. That's when inspiration struck. I now have plans to manufacture and market a cure all boldly named Placebo. The catch phrase will be, "it will cure whatever ailment you think it will." I think the general population is so willing to buy placebos already that brazenly naming it Placebo will make it irresistible. I think I will make the primary ingredient sugar for two reasons. Sugar pills have been historically used as a placebo, and also I figure the sweet taste will make it that much more pleasing to the suckers, uh, customers.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
AJ Jacobs Trilogy
I recently completed reading AJ Jacobs 3 books (to date). Since I'm pretty lazy, I'm combining all 3 reviews into one big, magical review.
Several months ago I read The Guinea Pig Diaries, the basic premise of which is that he would spend a month or so experimenting with a new lifestyle or behavior and see what effect it would have on his life and those around him.
A couple examples: my favorite, in one chapter he outsources his life. He hired some personal assistants to respond to his emails, answer his phone calls, do his shopping, read bedtime stories to his children, argue with his wife, etc. In another chapter, he practices 'radical honesty' which basically entails not just telling the truth 100% of the time, but going one step further and removing the filter between your brain and your mouth and simply saying whatever pops into your head.
Not only is the subject matter interesting, but AJ presents it in an entertaining manner. He's got a great sense of humor and weaves a lot of personal anecdotes into his narrative, effectively demonstrating the utility, or lack thereof, of the experiments. You really get a good idea of how people will/do react to an unfiltered mouth, or how a spouse would/does respond to being referred to a personal assistant. AJ definitely steps out of the theoretical and jumps into practical application with both feet.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the Guinea Pig Diaries, I followed it up with The Know It All. In an effort to learn all there is to know, AJ embarks on a quest to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica and shares the journey along the way. This was his first book, and it shows. It has it's moments but overall lacks the polish and fails to captivate in the way his later books do. As you may have guessed based on the subject matter, it is a little dry. This book comes across as you would imagine one penned by Cliff Clavin would. There are some interesting facts, but a lot of the book is just tedious.
Finally, I made my way to The Year of Living Biblically. Like his other books, this is an account of a sociological experiment. This time he undertakes spending a full year following the bible as literally as possible. I really admire him for his dedication in taking the assignment so seriously. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, he goes all in. In addition to growing a full, bushy beard and walking the streets of New York for months donning old testament garb, he goes so far as to stone an adulterer. Don't worry though, the guy had it coming.
This book is amusing at times, but what I really found interesting was his earnestness in truly trying to not just follow a set of rules, but to understand the mind set of people with very different views from his. A liberal agnostic, he could have used this as an opportunity to mock the religious but instead attended church and prayed with snake handlers and invited a Jehovah's Witness to his home and had a frank and genuine conversation with him until said Witness had had enough and called it a night. The effort put into this book is admirable, and it really is a valuable insight into the mind of someone truly trying to understand an opposing viewpoint. The world would be a better place if more people put in the effort into understanding others. The Year of Living Biblically was well worth the time to read.
A couple examples: my favorite, in one chapter he outsources his life. He hired some personal assistants to respond to his emails, answer his phone calls, do his shopping, read bedtime stories to his children, argue with his wife, etc. In another chapter, he practices 'radical honesty' which basically entails not just telling the truth 100% of the time, but going one step further and removing the filter between your brain and your mouth and simply saying whatever pops into your head.
Not only is the subject matter interesting, but AJ presents it in an entertaining manner. He's got a great sense of humor and weaves a lot of personal anecdotes into his narrative, effectively demonstrating the utility, or lack thereof, of the experiments. You really get a good idea of how people will/do react to an unfiltered mouth, or how a spouse would/does respond to being referred to a personal assistant. AJ definitely steps out of the theoretical and jumps into practical application with both feet.
This book is amusing at times, but what I really found interesting was his earnestness in truly trying to not just follow a set of rules, but to understand the mind set of people with very different views from his. A liberal agnostic, he could have used this as an opportunity to mock the religious but instead attended church and prayed with snake handlers and invited a Jehovah's Witness to his home and had a frank and genuine conversation with him until said Witness had had enough and called it a night. The effort put into this book is admirable, and it really is a valuable insight into the mind of someone truly trying to understand an opposing viewpoint. The world would be a better place if more people put in the effort into understanding others. The Year of Living Biblically was well worth the time to read.
Seether - Country Song
Even though I hate country music - it's the devil's music - I have to admit that Country Song by Seether is pretty catchy. Every time I hear it though, one particular lyric really bothers me.
What the hell is that supposed to mean? It makes no sense at all. Sublimation is the process of something changing states from solid to gas, completely bypassing the intermediate state or vice versa. The most common example being snow - water vapor solidifies without ever becoming liquid. How can that possibly apply to the taste of someone's mouth? Until I can get an acceptable answer to this question, I can't purchase any Seether music out of principal.
I can't stand the taste of your mouth
This sublimation's out of my hands
What the hell is that supposed to mean? It makes no sense at all. Sublimation is the process of something changing states from solid to gas, completely bypassing the intermediate state or vice versa. The most common example being snow - water vapor solidifies without ever becoming liquid. How can that possibly apply to the taste of someone's mouth? Until I can get an acceptable answer to this question, I can't purchase any Seether music out of principal.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
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