Straight Outta Frogtown

a new age

July 18, 2006

ASTRONAUTS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE SUDOKU PUZZLES

Congress Questions Limited Ambition of Discovery's Mission

Moments after the space shuttle Discovery landed yesterday, shuttle astronauts pronounced their mission a success, including the completion of several books of Sudoku puzzles while on board. In a press briefing after their return to Earth, the Discovery crew said that a key part of their mission was to determine the effect of zero gravity on humans who were attempting to do Sudoku puzzles. "On Earth, it usually takes me around fifteen to thirty minutes to complete a Sudoku puzzle," said astronaut Steve Frick. "The good news is I was able to do it in about the same amount of time, except for when the pencil floated out of my hand."

In addition to the Sudoku experiment, the shuttle astronauts said that they logged "many hours" playing Xbox while on board the Discovery.

This truly is a golden age for mankind.

Season Premiere!

Have you been bumming because all your favorite shows are packing it up for the summer already?  Well, put down the Prozac and pick up your miniature American flag and get ready to tune in tonight for the premiere of what will not only undoubtedly be the runaway hit of the summer, but a classic for years to come; RACIST NATION!

If you haven't seen it, it's new to you!

And mommies and daddies, after the show, stick around for the Adults-Only special; SCREWING OLDIES.

With "surprise" special events like fag-bashing, history revising, general bar lowering, plus the fabulous July 4th picnic, it's bound to be a summer to remember.  Tune in tonight!

"Q Comp" for teachers is awful

Speaking generally, the act of applying corporate lingo help strategies to social service, non-profit, or any other fields that are people/personal intensive is doing a huge amount of damage right now.  The cumulative power of this trend is one more link in the chain that America is going to hang itself with. 

"Q Comp" places "blame" for "bad kids" on teachers.  Selfish and ineffective parents must just luvv this one.  I blame them.  Sorry.

*inspired by yesterday's Midday program on MPR

The Decider

"I'm the decider, and I decide what is best"  -  King Bush 2006-04-18

Margaret points out that "decider" means pretty much the same thing as another word that begins with "d"

Holy Cow!

Wait, that was Harry Caray, which is different from...  Well, anyway, this one is for real.

Porn star Mary Carey to Dine with President Bush    (link may contain pr0n)

Porn star and former gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey will be joining her boss, Kick Ass Pictures president Mark Kulkis, in attending a dinner with President Bush in Washington, D.C. on June 14.

Kulkis was invited to attend the event by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which is organizing the event. Over a two-day course of NRCC events preceding the dinner, Carey and Kulkis will be attending a meeting with presidential advisor Karl Rove, giving their recommendations on important national issues.
...

“I’m especially looking forward to meeting Karl Rove,” Carey added. “Smart men like him are so sexy. I know that he’s against gay marriage, but I think I can convince him that a little girl-on-girl action now and then isn’t so bad!

Kulkis serves as an Honorary Chairman on the NRCC’s  Business Advisory Council, a group of business people who advocate a progressive, pro-business agenda. His company  produces hardcore adult videos with a guarantee of “No Fake Boobs & No Condoms.” Carey ran for Governor in the 2003 California Recall Election, while Kulkis served as her campaign manager.

Hot.  Family values are awesome!

Old Newz

From an essay, via New Patriot, re: the 2004 revision of the state's standards of education under Cheri Pierson-Yecke, then Minnesota's Commissioner of Education

"For example, in a discussion of the kindergarten Civics standard describing the “virtues of good citizens,” the subcommittee decided to omit “sharing and cooperation” because these were too “socialist.” At another meeting, the subcommittee agreed that it would be inappropriate to teach middle school students about the economics of slavery, because the knowledge that human beings were bought and sold as merchandise might “prejudice the students against a free market economy.”

Gross.  Won't somebody please think of the children?  Well, these guys will think of the children (warning: also contains gross content).

Here's some better news and then some other stuff:

From BBC News: Marijuana may block Alzheimer's

Via Photoethnography:  Wing Young Huie's photos of Frogtown (St. Paul) and Lake Street (Mpls)

Flickr is still cool.  I really liked Chuck's photo of the old mac and Sharyn's photo of the sulking Hulk on flickr this week.  Also on flickr; here but for the grace of God goes my brokedown G3/600 Graphite iMac.  How's about I type "flickr" a few more times then.

"Fresh Air"

Listening now:
Fresh Air with Tommy Chong, followed by the DOJ Attorney who prosecuted him during John Ashcroft's Operation Pipe Dreams.

Listening earlier: 
Freshly circulated, some of the best sounding live Stereolab recordings I've heard to date. [torrent here] The last 5 tracks on this are from the ABC Music (BBC) discs which you should purchase and not just download.  It'll probably get pulled, which is too bad because the show is really good.

Reading now:  St. Paul blog Funky Chickens and Dancing Mangos. 

1460 Days Of Freedom

At the risk of being a whiny e-wuss, my day so far was the suck for at least three personal reasons, but I suppose they all pale in comparison to... well... anyway.

As is usual on any given weekday workday, I caught a lot of MPR. Heard a lot of stuff about Freedom and Liberty. COMMUNICATION [all caps, yes] also figured prominently in my day, but I digress. This is not a post about reactionary e-mailing. It's more about the cool things you experience when you're driving around in the suburbs avoiding what you're supposed to be doing.

The best thing I heard on the radio in the last 24 hours:
On last night's The World, this English translation of lyrics by jailed Cuban rocker Gorki Aguila:

I don't want to be a blind King's puppet...
I pee in his soup
And give him grief.

The best worst thing I heard on the radio in the last 24 hours:
Today, on NPR's Talk Of The Nation, this ranting toolbox claims to be "pleased as punch."  You be the judge.

Happy Freedom Day.

Bonus linq du jour: The Flaming Lips cover White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" and possibly some Butthole Surfers song.

Another C-SPAN Morning

It's been another C-SPAN kind of morning here at the group home...  watching Gonzales get alternately slammed and then ass-kissed most of the morning, then watching Mark Dayton speaking ineffectively about stuff and junk (who knows), then watching Barbara Boxer bagging on the Ohio vote, now watching Trent Lott and the Electoral College.

It's all just so much fun.

I haven't had to spoon any poop out of any buttcracks yet, but the day is still young.

Assistance for the Unemployed

Are you looking for a job?  Do you want to tell your current employer to go blow?  Have you choked hard at one too many job interviews?  Well, now you can get the help you need to be prepared right here.  Just figure out what your answers would be to the following real-life job interview questions and you'll be ready to really wow 'em at your next appointment with Human Resources.

Interview Questions:

Current Job:

1. Tell me about a recent challenge or accomplishment in your current job?

2. What action did you take to achieve results?

Experience:

1. Please give me a 5-minute synopsis of your work history?

2. Tell me about the skills you have that would enable you to be most effective in this position?

3. Tell me about the technical skills you bring to this position and how have you applied these skills for job success?

Intellectual Factors:

1. Give me an example of a situation where you demonstrated common sense?

2. Let’s talk about your skill in handling ambiguity, Give me an example of a situation where it was not clear how a project should be handled and you figured it out on your own.

3. I would like to know more about your communication skills, give me an example of a situation where your communication skills cleared up a misunderstanding others were having.

4. Give me an example of a situation when your attention to detail paid off by avoiding a costly mistake or capitalizing on an overlooked opportunity.

Motivation:

1. What do you do to make sure your work is always accurate?

2. Give me an example of a situation where hard work accounted for an accomplishment that you are proud of.

3. When was the last time you had trouble meeting a deadline?  What did you do?

Interpersonal Factors:

1. Tell me about the last time you worked as part of a team to accomplish a goal.

2. Give me an example of a situation when you successfully persuaded other to think or do what you wanted.

3. Give me an example of a situation where you made something happen because of your proactive nature.

Good luck, future employee!