It's on the Internet, So You KNOW it's True.

Some fun with personality test stuff.

And I blame this on my fondness for violent video games. Optimists can still see me as 44% good if they want.

You Are 56% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side. Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.

How Evil Are You?

Sience-y Stuff

Stumbled on this story from the L.A. Times today, concerning TCE (which I have a little experience with) and the controversy concerning its carcinogenicity. Is this another example of politics pitted against science? Judge for yourself. Since I probably can't. I just wonder if any of those in the "no big deal" camp live downstream from any plumes.

More Mediocre Madness

So, if you're like me, you've shredded your bracket by now. A few of my upsets actually came through. Including Wichita State. Which grants me the opportunity to post this pic. Which reminds me, a few weeks back I had to explain what "that" was to my boss. That was an awkward day at work.

Texas Justice!

Uh oh. This could be trouble if the trend catches on nationwide (in TX, Austin and Deep Ellum are screwed!). Sounds like the spokesperson is from the WTCU instead of the ABC. So many quotables here, let's begin.

Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, Beck said.

So the inside of a bar still counts as public? How 'bout the inside of a bathroom? See where I'm headed? Because public intoxication and public urination normally travel as a couple. And technically, since a person's car can sometimes legally be considered an extension of his house, does the opposite apply? If you're tanked on the couch, are you as good as in your vehicle? Then there's this

There are a lot of dangerous and stupid things people do when they're intoxicated, other than get behind the wheel of a car," Beck said. "People walk out into traffic and get run over, people jump off of balconies trying to reach a swimming pool and miss.

So if they just get tanked at home, the urge to do such shenanigans will disappear (but the neighbors will begin to talk when the bottles pile up in the recycling bin). To quote a beer commerical, BRILLIANT! Personally I just like to eat Cheez-its and watch B-movies when sloshed, can this pre-emptive arrest help me, too?
There's more on this at Sploid (complete with a pic, too!)
Where's a bunch of fun-lovin' libertarians when you need them?

Bird Flu's First Victims- Cat People?

If so, my neck of the woods is screwed. And as always, sleep well.

Gettin' the Led Out

Doesn't every classic rock have some sort of Zeppelin block called that? Anyways, for everybody who's heard Muddy Waters "You Need Love" or Howlin' Wolf's "Killin' Floor" (or most other Willie-Dixon penned classics) or Sonny Boy Williamson II's "Bring it On Home" and thought, Hey, that sounds familiar, and/or burned a CD of such covers, then this link is for you. From the blues greats, to obscure British folkies, to their "pop" contemporaries, all played a role. Be sure to check out the "colorful" original Rolling Stone album reviews. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I still think Zep rocks.

More Science!

From the folks at the MIT Technology Review comes this story of bioengineered pathogens. It's a long read and can be disconcerting. Any fans of Richard Preston's latest work (pants-wettinly scary, but highly recommended) will probably recognize some of the names here. See there, you've fogotten all about hoarding canned goods for the bird flu outbreak already.

How to own your office bracket

It's pretty simple actually, you will need the following:
A bracket, an RPI site, an abacus and/or TI-82, an Aztec calendar, a copy of "The Art of War" and a bottle of Jameson (and maybe an expert opinion or two). Remember, it's not about how much you know, it's about how much more you don't know. Think too much and you might as well just throw your $5 away on something frivolous like food. It helps if you have no emotional attatchment and any of that pesky "I've been watching X team for Y number of years" mindest holding you back to any of the teams, so I'm in luck this year. First rounds, here we go. Keep in mind, 9 seeds over 8's hardly counts as an upset. This is when working with UK homers will pay off (hopefully). So look for good mismatches from the RPI standpoint and take 'em. Also, 10's over 7's is child's play (well, at least in NCSU's and UNI's cases). Can I pick Alabama and sleep well at night or do I pick them and secretly hope they lose, still screwing me? That's where the Jameson comes in. Same goes for 11's over 6's. Stick with the highest RPI'd 11's and take at least one. A few are no-brainers. Then, there's the ever-so-popular 12-5 matchup. It happens EVERY YEAR. And at least one 12 usually makes it to the Sweet 16. Again, take the least lopsided matchup or top rated #12 and go for broke. This brings us to the most intriguing of the predictable upsets: Kansas going out early. This year they play Bradley in the first round, and by the RPI #'s, it's not that bad. Flip a coin, more Jameson, just don't put too much thought or reasoning in it, because it just doesn't matter in the tourney. This could set up a problematic second round matchup if neither long shot pays off, but don't sweat it. The second round should be slightly less crazy. Now is when the late-season trends can pan out. Think Tennessee is way overseeded? Think Gonzaga is an overhyped media darling? Still amazed how Texas gets to play its first rounds in their home state (at least this time it has the veneer of being earned) Ditch 'em in the Sweet 16/Elite 8 rounds. As for the later rounds, historically the Big 12 and SEC have a history of going down early (my alma mater is a prime example). Just something to keep in mind. In the late rounds, stick with the big boys. Also remember that the Final Four is never all of the #1 seeds. Other than that, you're on your own. And just remember that the secretary that bases her pics on which mascot could win in a fight will probably win it all, anyways.

Pictures of Sewanee Match

Hopefully the link works.

More rugby pics here

From last semester's EKU match.

Pics from Vandy

Pics from the WKU vs. Vandy rugby match are now up at Flickr. Maybe someday I'll be competent enough to link them correctly.

Barry's Bombshell...sorta.

So, more allegations of Bonds on the juice. Shocking (yawn). Again, the web's best satire nails it.
Today his excuse-ridden sycophantic denial-filled supporters on sports-talk radio today were a riot. The excuse of "well it wasn't against MLB rules" is priceless. REALLY, it's still illegal in general. I know MLB has special status with Congress, but I didn't know that meant that drug laws were null and void in the clubhouse (and yes, this does fall squarely at the feet of the Players' Union). Hell, I can spend my lunch break doing lines off a hooker dressed like Bo Peep and try to justify it with that excuse. The man (allegedly) used freaking cattle hormones as a growth supplement. Whenever you have to defer to the USDA on a drug's safety, you're breaking new ground. And in case you were wondering, apparently this de-flowering of our collective innoncence now means that...wait for it...professional athletes might not be the best role models. I'll just file this under "things folks should have figured out by now."
And UT fans (the ones who wear the slightly-less retina scorching shade of orange) will be thrilled to see Vince Young mentioned in the same breath as Ryan Leaf before he's even been drafted.

An AARP-approved Can of Whoop-ass

Dateline: Athens, Georgia. Let's say your name is Mason Bentley (strike one) and you get into a scuffle with your 68-year old neighbor over your barking dogs; Jack Russell terriers (strike two). The safe money is on the 48-year old with the fabulously fratty name, right. Wrong, apparently the old dude serioulsly beat Bentley down and then threatened to get his AK. Nice. The full story including post-pugilism pic can be found at the Georgia Sports Blog.

Science!

The fuzzy lobster has been in the news.
Here's the corresponding story. It's only a matter of time before "furry lobster" enters the urban dictionary as something unspeakably perverse.

This week in e-fights

Not sure why I noticed today, but I came across several online brawls today. Not involving SEC message boards, either. First, between two well-known political bloggers. Bonus points for the McCarthy referrence. And on the science front, if you were on a blog full of epidemiologists and you're refuting the claim that HIV causes AIDS, and when the site's owners cite you for copyright infringement, what do you do? Get an uninvolved department head involved, that's what. Which leads me to a slightly related story on how flame wars get started. Apparently people need better reading comprehension skills. But due to increasing networks of people these days, it could come back to get you.
These things reinforce my belief that tone (especially sarcasm) when typed needs its own unique font, because bold, italics and quotes just don't cut it anymore.

Post-Olympics Update

So, as I noted earlier (and was apparently the only one to read), the Winter Olympics weren't exactly a ratings bonanza. In order to increase interest and spice things up a bit (other than an uncle introducing me to Tannith Belbin, who he claims to know), one intrepid soul has the obvious solution. Hoth. Nerds rejoice.

Unexpected sports analysis

So last week, ESPN's Page2 correspondent The Sports Guy was interviewing some interesting people and getting their input on sports. I just happen to be reading The Tipping Point now, so I found the coincidence interesting. He breaks down NBA coaches as child psychologists (sort of), if the competent Jake Plummer is solely the result of his environment, and whether or not Eric Dampier is mailing it in. I think in the future, they should continue this Non-fiction writers sports breakdown. Think of the possibilities. Jared Diamond could tell you how to fill out a NCAA Tourney bracket, Thomas Friedman could handicap the World Baseball Classic... the possibilities are endless.

And speaking of the WBC, you have to enjoy this story about an anonymous Yankee employee who, while trying to disparage the WBC, ended up giving those Yankee haters out there something to snicker at.

Ahead of the Pop-culture curve ?!

Who would have thought that even by being aware of the Triple 6 Mafia (for a full decade, even) that I, a humble white dude kinda from the sticks, would have a hipster-like been-there-done-that leg up on most post-Oscar analysts who had no clue who they even were. Hell, I've even seen them in concert in between The Offspring and Lynryd Skynryd. Confused? I was. And who couldn't just love a hardcore rap group with a debatably satanic title with an award-winning song about pimpin' and how it ain't exactly easy? Well, the entire panel of Hardball, for one. So, if you're keeping up, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" is on the same list as "My Heart Will Go On", "Take My Breath Away", "Moon River", and "Zip-a-dee-do-dah" to sample another song, "One of these things is not like the other." Most analysis I've come across has also raked Jon Stewart over the coals, putting him in the same class as some nobodies named Chris Rock and David Letterman. Too bad their careers never recovered. As always with stuff like this, The Onion nails it.

Science-related movie "Oscars"

Or, more proof that I need a life. From the staff of Seed. The categories include Best Human-Animal Hybrid, Best Revenge on Goldilocks and the ever-popular Best Bat-Shit Crazy Mathematician. It also raises the question: how bad can the future really be if it includes TWO Scarlett Johanssons?

Necrotizing Fasciitis outbreak in Boulder

Yikes. Flesh-eating bacteria (or Streptococcus pyogenes a.k.a. Group A Strep) has stricken several individuals, resulting in some amputations. These infections can get pretty gruesome. If you want a good idea of what the infections look like, just do a Google image search on any of those words. Just not while eating.

Least-surprising news story of the day

What? State education standards from the land of my aforementioned idyllic youth are behind federal standards? Shocked, shocked I tell you. Quoting CNN

n Mississippi, 89 percent of fourth-graders who took a state reading test were rated proficient or better. But when the same students took a federal test, only 18 percent reached that standard.

Such discrepancies are not uncommon. Students from all over the country performed worse on a tough federal test than they did on state exams in reading and math -- raising questions about whether states are setting lower standards.

From my schoolin' I know that the sentence starting "Students from all over performed worse" should say "performed worser" (rim shot, thank you, try the veal). It's not that surprising that state standards are way lower than federal standards. I even went to one of the "better" schools in MS which basically meant the week before standardized tests, we crammed for the test in every class to jack up the school's score.

Ah, to be young again

Remember your teenage years? The hormonally ispired awkwardness, the angst-ridden insecurity, the acne-medicine-stained Pearl Jam t-shirts. It seemed so much simpler back then. Now, you can get suspended for just looking at a threatening MySpace site. Now is the snot-nosed kid who actually posted the site an irresponsible brat who thought he could hide behind internet anonymity? Sure. It just seems to this ill-informed casual observer to be a bit rash to suspend TWENTY of his (I'm assuming again) classmates for LOOKING at this website. Any news story that's about MySpace gives the impression that it's chock full of brooding psychopaths and/or Lolitas.
But gen-whaterverthehelltheycallthemselvesnow can cheer up. If you're a thin-skinned 16 year old from the 'burbs, you can get your teacher canned for left-wing rants. Look, I had several civics teachers in high school whose politics weren't close to mine, but they were still good teachers. If this kid is freaking out about his teacher's position in high school, his head will probably explode if he goes to CU.