oh, also

this made me un-grumpy. i was complaining to my dad on the phone about how irritated i get trying to explain to people about why my library doesn't have e-books (yet). he sent this infographic to help with this conversation.


In the word version, the red text was animated. awesome.

more google ads hilarity

Last night, after a few hours of solo questing, I made this and sent it to James:


And here < are the ads google provided for our email thread. Apparently, after making such a lame, warcraft related lolcat type joke, I am going to need advice on how to get my ex back. Really, google? Was it that bad? I thought it was funny.

I think I have invented a really fun game! Web pages that use external sites' CSS! So for example, I can create my own site, but then I link it to the stylesheet of cbc.ca. And then you have to deal with whatever it looks like, and not change it.

File that one under "great ideas."

Blog update! Blog update!

In Microsoft Outlook, which I use because I work in a real office, and all offices everywhere use only Microsoft products, you can take an e-mail that you have received, and then click the little flag next to it, and it will be automatically added to your to-do list. I get a lot of satisfaction out of doing this, because I like checking things off my to-do list, but in order to check them off I have to put them on first. The only problem with this approach is that the item on the to-do list will be the subject line of the e-mail. So yesterday, I sent an email to a co-worker with the subject line "reports! reports!" and he responded asking me to make a change to one of the titular reports. As a result, on my to-do list now appears an item called "reports! reports!"

I like how whimsical this is, and I've spent some time thinking about what "reports! reports!" could mean on a to-do list. For example, a series of reports on random subjects! Or, better yet, a MUSICAL ABOUT KEY MESSAGES!

I am filing that under "great ideas."

I have already checked off about three to-do list things TODAY, and it is only 10:16 AM, internets.

Unforseen advantages; also, the environmental sustainability of drug users

An Alderman in Chicago is trying to convince the city council to ban tiny plastic bags used for selling drugs. The Health Committee chairman adds, ""We need to use every measure that we possibly can to stop [drug addiction] because it is destroying our kids." I admire the "thinking outside the box" that clearly went on here, but there remains one fundamental problem:

1. This will not, in any way, prevent drug dealers from selling drugs.

HOWEVER, this could still be an advantage as it might encourage drug dealers to use more environmentally friendly means to distribute their products. After all, plastic never disintegrates, and I bet the majority of crack cocaine addicts aren't recycling theirs (and indeed, may not even know what day to put out their recycling for curbside pick-up). This could be an opportunity for some creative re-use, or at least use of more sustainable materials! Possible alternatives to tiny plastic bags: packets made of aluminum foil or paper; the little plastic cases that those tiny memory chips for digital cameras come in; small Tupperware containers (these could be re-used as they are dishwasher-safe); tiny sachets made from salvaged industrial fabric (once emptied of heroin, these could be filled with potpourri and used as drawer/closet fresheners!); film cannisters.

Think about it.
I am filing this one under: "Great ideas."