Friday, December 26, 2008

Perceived Value of Time versus Time

I have often noticed that people do not seem to value their own time properly.

Here is my graph of the perceived value of time versus time:



-BT

Song of the Day: Double bill: The Killers - When You Were Young and Mr. Brightside

Happy Boxing Day 2008! Always a bit of a relief to get Christmas out of the way :)

2 songs from The Killers today - lyrics are below...

I know next to nothing about this band but I like their tunes.


When You Were Young:




Mr. Brightside:




Lyrics:

When You Were Young

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now ... here he comes!

He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young

Can we climb this mountain
I don't know
Higher now than ever before
I know we can make it if we take it slow
Let's take it easy
Easy now, watch it go

We're burning down the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane that started turning
When you were young
When you were young

And sometimes you close your eyes
and see the place where you used to live
When you were young

They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet
You don't have to drink right now
But you can dip your feet
Every once in a little while

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now here he comes

He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young
(He talks like a gentlemen, like you imagined when)
When you were young

I said he doesn't look a thing like Jesus
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But more than you'll ever know

Mr. Brightside

I'm coming out of my cage
And I’ve been doing just fine
Gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this?
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss
Now I’m falling asleep
And she’s calling a cab
While he’s having a smoke
And she’s taking a drag
Now they’re going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it’s all in my head
But she’s touching his chest
Now, he takes off her dress
Now, letting me go

And I just can’t look - it's killing me
And taking control
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea
Turning through sick lullabies [acoustic version of the song says: "Swimming through sick lullabies"]
Choking on your alibis
But it’s just the price I pay
Destiny is calling me
Open up my eager eyes
‘Cause I’m Mr Brightside

I’m coming out of my cage
And I’ve been doing just fine
Gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this?
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss
Now I’m falling asleep
And she’s calling a cab
While he’s having a smoke
And she’s taking a drag
Now they’re going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it’s all in my head
But she’s touching his chest
Now, he takes off her dress
Now, letting me go

'Cause I just can’t look - it's killing me
And taking control
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea
Turning through sick lullabies [acoustic version of the song says: "Swimming through sick lullabies"]
Choking on your alibis
But it’s just the price I pay
Destiny is calling me
Open up my eager eyes
‘Cause I’m Mr Brightside

I never...
I never...
I never...
I never...

-BT

Map of US Military Bases

Interesting map, the US has a staggering military world presence.

View the Map

You have to wait a few seconds for the map to load and then you can click on it to get more details.

-BT

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Margaret Downey and the Tree of Knowledge

I now know what I am going to be calling my "christmas tree" from now on - a Tree of Knowledge.



-BT

Silly Photo of the Day - Confused Chicken

Check out the expression on the chicken's face!

Song of the Day: Adam Sandler - The Hannakuh (Chanukah?) Song

Since 'tis the season...



And the lyrics, apologies for the bad transcription but close enough for government work...

Put on your yarmulke
Here comes chanukah
So much funukah
To celebrate chanukah
Chanukah is the festival of lights
Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights

When you feel like the only kid in town without a christmas tree
Heres a list of people who are jewish just like you and me
David lee roth lights the menorah
So do james caan, kirk douglas, and the late dinah shore-ah

Guess who eats together at the carnegie deli
Bowser from sha na na and arthur fonzerelli
Paul newmans half jewish, goldie hawns half too
Put them together, what a fine lookin jew

You dont need deck the halls or jingle bell rock
cause you can spin a dreidel with captain kirk and mr. spock- both jewish

Put on your yarmulke
Its time for chanukah
The owner of the seattle supersonicahs
Celebrates chanukah

O.j. simpson, not a jew
But guess who is? hall of famer rod carew- he converted
We got ann landers and her sister dear abby
Harrison fords a quarter jewish- not too shabby

Some people think that ebenezer scrooge is
Well hes not, but guess who is
All three stooges
So many jews are in showbiz
Tom cruise isnt, but I heard his agent is

Tell your friend veronica
Its time to celebrate chanukah
I hope I get a harmonicah
Oh this lovely, lovely chanukah
So drink your gin and tonicah
And smoke your marijuanikah
If you really, really wannakah
Have a happy, happy, happy, happy chanukah
Happy chanukah

Happy (whatever you celebrate) !

-BT

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Cheesus (Cheeto Jesus)

Cheesus on the cross...



His head is a bit small, but still...

Can Robots be Conscious?

Here's
an interesting article from the New York Times
. The field of Artifical Intelligence started out with high hopes but has fallen short of its lofty goals so far. Computers still fail pathetically when faced with the Turing test (imitate a human without detection). With today's supercomputers it seems likely that we have more processing power than can be found in the brain of a very simple organism such as an Amoeba or tiny bug. However, we can't make computers do anything "intelligent" other than obey commands that we tell them to do. That's probably a good thing though, when you watch movies like "The Terminator".

-BT

Friday, December 12, 2008

Song of the Day: The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way

The British invasion continues...

Nice melody and also good to hear a "real" accent in a song (with one exception - the "t" in "better" is pronounced "bedder" with a pseudo American accent as opposed to using a gutteral "t" which is a shame). The lyrics aren't going to get anyone nominated for poet laureate either but still, the song has the ability to pick your mood up a notch (at least it did for me and I hope it does for you too).



Lyrics:

"She Moves In Her Own Way"

So at my show on Monday
I was hoping someday
You'd be on your way to better things
It's not about your make-up
Or how you try to shape up
To these tiresome paper dreams
Paper dreams, honey

So now you pour your heart out
You're telling me you're far out
You're not about to lie down for your cause
But you don't pull my strings
'Cos I'm a better man
Moving on to better things

Well uh oh, oh I love her because she moves in her own way
Well uh oh, oh she came to my show just to hear about my day

And at the show on Tuesday
She was in her mindset
Tempered furs and spangled boots
Looks are deceiving
Make me believe it
And these tiresome paper dreams
Paper dreams, honey
Yeah

So wont you go far
Tell me you're a keeper
Not about to lie down for your cause
And you don't pull my strings
'Cos I'm a better man
Moving on to better things

Well oh oh, oh I love her because she moves in her own way
Well oh oh, oh she came to my show just to hear about my day

yes I wish that we never made it
Through all the summers
They're keeping us instead of
Kicking us back
Down through the suburbs
yes I wish that we never made it
Through all the summers
They're keeping us instead of
Kicking us back
Down through the suburbs

But uh oh, I love her because she moves in her own way
But uh oh, she came to my show just to hear about my day
But uh oh, oh I love her because she moves in her own way
But uh oh, oh she came to my show just to hear about my day

-BT

Anyone else interested in graves?


I have a serious obsession with death. I don't think it's totally unhealthy - after all, it's good to be prepared for what you are going to spend billions of years of your future doing. Anyway, here is a good website that I found that allows you to find out where famous (and not-so-famous) people are buried:

findagrave.com

You can put in your location, and then narrow it down further (e.g. "very famous" people only).

I live in Indiana and discovered that I am not that far away from the graves of James Dean and Cole Porter. I have mentally filed the towns' locations, for some day when I have time to visit them. Why not give it a try - put in your location, and see what you find.

-BT