| Sunday, June 7, 2009 |
07:26 - People suck, but we need 'em
http://www.cracked.com/article_15231_7-reasons-21st-century-making-you-miserable.htm
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This isn't new, but it's new to me. My word, but David Wong is awesome.
You want to break out of that black tar pit of self-hatred? Brush the black hair out of your eyes, step away from the computer and buy a nice gift for someone you loathe. Send a card to your worst enemy. Make dinner for your mom and dad. Or just do something simple, with an tangible result. Go clean the leaves out of the gutter. Grow a damn plant.
It ain't rocket science; you are a social animal and thus you are born with little happiness hormones that are released into your bloodstream when you see a physical benefit to your actions. Think about all those teenagers in their dark rooms, glued to their PC's, turning every life problem into ridiculous melodrama. Why do they make those cuts on their arms? It's because making the pain-and subsequent healing-tangible releases endorphins they don't get otherwise. It's pain, but at least it's real.
That form of stress relief via mild discomfort used to be part of our daily lives, via our routine of hunting gazelles and gathering berries and climbing rocks and fighting bears. No more. This is why office jobs make so many of us miserable; we don't get any physical, tangible result from our work. But do construction out in the hot sun for two months, and for the rest of your life you can drive past a certain house and say, "Holy shit, I built that." Maybe that's why mass shootings are more common in offices than construction sites.
Nobody produces distilled perspective like him.
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| Wednesday, June 3, 2009 |
09:07 - Ronery Planet
http://gizmodo.com/5277184/north-korea-secrets-uncovered-in-google-earth-by-amateur-
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Via Mark: looks like Google Earth knows more about North Korea than Dear Leader might like...
On April 4 2007, Curtis Melvin—a PhD student at George Mason University—decided to start the "North Korea Uncovered" project. Two years later it became the definitive reference for the country's secrets, thanks to an army of amateur spies.
All via personal initiative. That's something to doff one's hat to.
Of course, however, the Gizmodo commenters are taking the opportunity to identify the real bad guys:
I so wanna punch an american in the face right now
. . .
Oh what a surprise, americans messing in some other countries private stuff. that´s new!!
. . .
I honestly don't understand why people have animosity towards this. I think it's great! If people are doing this to N. Korea, that means they're doing it to other countries, or will do it in the future, including ours.
Some people shouldn't have nice things. Fortunately I know of a lovely country where there aren't any.
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| Tuesday, June 2, 2009 |
08:09 - Now that's not cool
http://jalopnik.com/5274562/2-million-mclaren-f1-self+immolates-in-sickening-conflag
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A McLaren F1 burned up in Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa. About an hour from my hometown.
It happened yesterday, when the owner took it out after six months of storage and an onlooker alerted the owner to smoke coming from the engine bay. The fire spread quickly and consumed the carbon fiber body work and 6.0 liter BMW V12 with horrifying efficiency. The car was a total loss, valued at $2 million and insured for $3 million, but the financial implications are nothing compared to losing one of these rare gems.
I'll say. They're not making any more of these. Nor is it getting any easier to own them in California.
I prefer my car fires to be of the funny variety:
Via Mark.
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| Monday, June 1, 2009 |
06:08 - I'm sure the rear plate glass has been replaced
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/370-Beech-Street_Highland-Park_IL_6
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But the Ferrari is not included. Which I'm sure the realtor has to clarify to every potential, yet ultimately disappointed, buyer.
(From Vermont.)
Via Lance.
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