Update on my ankle, severed feet and the misuse of LED files
Can't see the blog? Note to my friends and colleagues at CA who read this: All Live Journal web pages are now blocked on the CA network, not just mine as one wit suggested, so you'll have to read this when you aren't connected to the Internet via CA. If I'm the actual reason that happened, all I can say is that I'm so proud.
This week's theme is the misuse of LEDs, but before that, an update on my ankle.
I am now allowed to walk on my leg with the walking cast, so no more clomping around with the walker. I'll have the cast on for at least another month but this will make me far more mobile.
No screws loose here.
Here are x-rays from last week showing the mini-hardware aisle I now have in my leg (a long thin plate or two and a whole bunch of screws). Airport security will never be the same again. If you want to see the original x-ray and other pictures from when I broke it, go to this blog. All I can say is, come at me with a magnet and prepare to die.
With friends like these, who needs....
It was reported in June that five disembodied feet had washed up on the shores of western Canada. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91724571 Another was found in August across the Strait in Washington the same day I broke my ankle. No, reports to the contrary, it wasn't mine. It was then suggested to me that if my foot no longer worked, perhaps one of these would be available. Thanks but most of them were right feet from men, and it was my left ankle I shattered.
Credit goes to my friend Colin for telling me about these news stories shortly after I was released from the hospital. You just can't put a price on the value of support from your friends in times of need.
And now on to the regular stuff, starting with LOLCat captions loosely on an LED theme.
As always, thanks to
Best bumpersticker seen recently: Be nice to the United States or we will bring democracy to your country.
So if you get behind in your email or there's a power outage, that heralds the second coming? You've Been Left Behind, $40 for the first year. From their website (youvebeenleftbehind.com), you can set up their system to send messages and documents your "lost" friends and relatives who were not apparently taken up to heaven when the Rapture occurs. As their About page explains:
We have set up a system to send documents by the email, to the addresses you provide, 6 days after the "Rapture" of the Church. This occurs when 3 of our 5 team members scattered around the U.S fail to log in over a 3 day period. Another 3 days are given to fail safe any false triggering of the system.
Uh-huh. I won't speculate on how many subscribers will take advantage of the opportunity to gloat in the emails to friends and family. Thanks to NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell me show for this news item on their June 7, 2008 show.
Too bad there's no video showing what happens to those people if it isn't installed properly...
Bloomframe collapsible balcony, price not announced. The only value I can see here is that you don't need to remember to bring in the furniture during bad weather, although you do have to remember to bring in the balcony. http://www.luxurylaunches.com/decor/bloomframe_is_a_collapsible_balcony.php
Now on to this week's theme, the misuse of LED files. Some of these entries came from a blog titled Stupid LED Tricks on treehugger.com.
Yeah, but will you hit yourself or your partner in the head if you go for the snooze button?
LED pillow alarm clock, concept only. From the press release:
"...and it uses a cutting-edge LED fabricsubstrate below the pillow's surface; the pillow gently awakes you with it's light that inceases its intensity over a 40-minute period. Once you are awake and lift your head from the pillow, it displays the time for you on the pillowcase."
So if you are restless and either cover your head with the pillow or push it off onto the floor, exactly what good ill this do you? There is a panel of controls sewn to the side of the pillow. And since the controls are permanently attached, I'm guessing this thing can't be put through the wash so I'm wondering if eventually the smell alone won't wake you. http://www.luxurylaunches.com/home_improvement/led_pillow_clock_uses_light_not_sound_to_wake_you.php
Wearing sheer clothing may have an unintended effect, when people can see right through it.
LED bench, billed as being environmentally friendly because it only takes 95 watts to power it. Point is, except as an expression of art, why the hell light up the bench in the first place?
If someone decides you are on fire, it will serve you right when they take appropriate action.
Voltage iGlow Hair Gel, $9.95 for a 2 oz single application. Hair gel that contains microscopic particles which glow for 6-8 hours when mixed and applied to hair. Apparently it's only visible in dim light or no light. Available in blue, green, orange and yellow. From the marketing copy:
"The glow is bright enough to even use in lieu of a flashlight to go through a campground at night!"
Uh-huh. If I see someone with glowing hair on my next camping trip, I'd assume the water is radioactive and get the hell out of there. And it will serve them right if the glow attracts bears. From letsglowparty.com.
People use one of these in meetings will likely be killed and eaten by co-workers for making tedious meetings run even longer.
Ligh Talk 2, $39.99. Scan an image, then wave the pen around and display it in mid air. This will only work when you move it at the right speed to use the afterimage others will see when you do this. Just use IM like everyone else, damn it. From ThinkGeek.
If this is the only way to get people to look at the body part highlighted, take note: it's probably not worth looking at.
Lighted Bras, $120-600. The same company also offers lighted hats, coats, vests and many other garments, including these:
Lighted flame pants, $1000. I'm guessing this site is the geek equivalent of Frederick's of Hollywood. From enlighted.com.
Cool and frightening words and facts:
Another reason to just drink alcohol, IMO.
In tests prompted by an AP story, pharmaceuticals were found in the drinking water of 46 million Americans, including my home town of Portland, Oregon. I'd suggest drinking beer but of course it's usually made with municpal water supplies so you'll just have to gut it up and go for the distilled stuff. Read more at: http://www.amazon.com/Kwik-Tek-Multi-Purpose-9-Inch-12-Inch/dp/B000OF72WK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1221327759&sr=8-3
Can you justify a sick day at work for an ice cream headache? What causes brain freeze, also known as an ice cream headache, that feeling you get when you eat something cold too fast? There is a specific set of nerves in the soft palate that redirects the pain to the forehead or sinuses. Turns out people with migraines are more susceptible. Jeez, first they can't drink red wine or eat chocolate, now ice cream. From NPR's ATC on 8/23/2008 from their feature known as Science Out of the Box.
Remember that you were told not to put anything sharper than your elbow in your ear? As stupid as I always found that advice, because the first thing every kid does is try to get their elbow in their ear, it turns out they were right. Don't remove earwax after all. New information directs doctors to tell us to leave earwax alone. The article refers to "national guidelines on earwax removal". National guidelines? Who appoints these people. We have many millions of people in the US without health care and we have people providing a national directive on earwax?!?
Next up, boob-themed products that will guarantee you an HR event if you take them to work.
This week's theme is the misuse of LEDs, but before that, an update on my ankle.
I am now allowed to walk on my leg with the walking cast, so no more clomping around with the walker. I'll have the cast on for at least another month but this will make me far more mobile.
No screws loose here.
Here are x-rays from last week showing the mini-hardware aisle I now have in my leg (a long thin plate or two and a whole bunch of screws). Airport security will never be the same again. If you want to see the original x-ray and other pictures from when I broke it, go to this blog. All I can say is, come at me with a magnet and prepare to die.
With friends like these, who needs....
It was reported in June that five disembodied feet had washed up on the shores of western Canada. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91724571 Another was found in August across the Strait in Washington the same day I broke my ankle. No, reports to the contrary, it wasn't mine. It was then suggested to me that if my foot no longer worked, perhaps one of these would be available. Thanks but most of them were right feet from men, and it was my left ankle I shattered.
Credit goes to my friend Colin for telling me about these news stories shortly after I was released from the hospital. You just can't put a price on the value of support from your friends in times of need.
And now on to the regular stuff, starting with LOLCat captions loosely on an LED theme.
As always, thanks to
Best bumpersticker seen recently: Be nice to the United States or we will bring democracy to your country.
So if you get behind in your email or there's a power outage, that heralds the second coming? You've Been Left Behind, $40 for the first year. From their website (youvebeenleftbehind.com), you can set up their system to send messages and documents your "lost" friends and relatives who were not apparently taken up to heaven when the Rapture occurs. As their About page explains:
We have set up a system to send documents by the email, to the addresses you provide, 6 days after the "Rapture" of the Church. This occurs when 3 of our 5 team members scattered around the U.S fail to log in over a 3 day period. Another 3 days are given to fail safe any false triggering of the system.
Uh-huh. I won't speculate on how many subscribers will take advantage of the opportunity to gloat in the emails to friends and family. Thanks to NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell me show for this news item on their June 7, 2008 show.
Too bad there's no video showing what happens to those people if it isn't installed properly...
Click to viewBloomframe collapsible balcony, price not announced. The only value I can see here is that you don't need to remember to bring in the furniture during bad weather, although you do have to remember to bring in the balcony. http://www.luxurylaunches.com/decor/bloomframe_is_a_collapsible_balcony.php
Now on to this week's theme, the misuse of LED files. Some of these entries came from a blog titled Stupid LED Tricks on treehugger.com.
Yeah, but will you hit yourself or your partner in the head if you go for the snooze button?
LED pillow alarm clock, concept only. From the press release:
"...and it uses a cutting-edge LED fabricsubstrate below the pillow's surface; the pillow gently awakes you with it's light that inceases its intensity over a 40-minute period. Once you are awake and lift your head from the pillow, it displays the time for you on the pillowcase."
So if you are restless and either cover your head with the pillow or push it off onto the floor, exactly what good ill this do you? There is a panel of controls sewn to the side of the pillow. And since the controls are permanently attached, I'm guessing this thing can't be put through the wash so I'm wondering if eventually the smell alone won't wake you. http://www.luxurylaunches.com/home_improvement/led_pillow_clock_uses_light_not_sound_to_wake_you.php
Wearing sheer clothing may have an unintended effect, when people can see right through it.
LED bench, billed as being environmentally friendly because it only takes 95 watts to power it. Point is, except as an expression of art, why the hell light up the bench in the first place?
If someone decides you are on fire, it will serve you right when they take appropriate action.
Voltage iGlow Hair Gel, $9.95 for a 2 oz single application. Hair gel that contains microscopic particles which glow for 6-8 hours when mixed and applied to hair. Apparently it's only visible in dim light or no light. Available in blue, green, orange and yellow. From the marketing copy:
"The glow is bright enough to even use in lieu of a flashlight to go through a campground at night!"
Uh-huh. If I see someone with glowing hair on my next camping trip, I'd assume the water is radioactive and get the hell out of there. And it will serve them right if the glow attracts bears. From letsglowparty.com.
People use one of these in meetings will likely be killed and eaten by co-workers for making tedious meetings run even longer.
Ligh Talk 2, $39.99. Scan an image, then wave the pen around and display it in mid air. This will only work when you move it at the right speed to use the afterimage others will see when you do this. Just use IM like everyone else, damn it. From ThinkGeek.
If this is the only way to get people to look at the body part highlighted, take note: it's probably not worth looking at.
Lighted Bras, $120-600. The same company also offers lighted hats, coats, vests and many other garments, including these:
Lighted flame pants, $1000. I'm guessing this site is the geek equivalent of Frederick's of Hollywood. From enlighted.com.
Cool and frightening words and facts:
Another reason to just drink alcohol, IMO.
In tests prompted by an AP story, pharmaceuticals were found in the drinking water of 46 million Americans, including my home town of Portland, Oregon. I'd suggest drinking beer but of course it's usually made with municpal water supplies so you'll just have to gut it up and go for the distilled stuff. Read more at: http://www.amazon.com/Kwik-Tek-Multi-Purpose-9-Inch-12-Inch/dp/B000OF72WK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1221327759&sr=8-3
Can you justify a sick day at work for an ice cream headache? What causes brain freeze, also known as an ice cream headache, that feeling you get when you eat something cold too fast? There is a specific set of nerves in the soft palate that redirects the pain to the forehead or sinuses. Turns out people with migraines are more susceptible. Jeez, first they can't drink red wine or eat chocolate, now ice cream. From NPR's ATC on 8/23/2008 from their feature known as Science Out of the Box.
Remember that you were told not to put anything sharper than your elbow in your ear? As stupid as I always found that advice, because the first thing every kid does is try to get their elbow in their ear, it turns out they were right. Don't remove earwax after all. New information directs doctors to tell us to leave earwax alone. The article refers to "national guidelines on earwax removal". National guidelines? Who appoints these people. We have many millions of people in the US without health care and we have people providing a national directive on earwax?!?
Next up, boob-themed products that will guarantee you an HR event if you take them to work.