I'm in Austin today. Yesterday being my 2nd full day. It's a great town.

Austin is a dumpy crap hole with tons of personality that has undergone a decade or so of gentrification and now seems torn between its funky coolness and the new hip-swanky-yuppie element. It's a good mix and for the time being really awesome but I fear in 10 years it may swing too far the yuppie trash way. The one thing it seems to be avoiding is out and out rampant consumerism. I haven't seen the blocks and block of McDonald's, Ben and Jerry's, Chinos, Best Buys and Starbucks. It isn't completely immune, though. I do see lots of Beemers, black turtlenecks writing on apple branded laptops in swanky coffeshops and condo sky scrapers. It also appears that clubs are close to outnumbering bars which is never a good sign.

The food is really cosmopolitan. I have some very good Tia the first night. The taco stands have been great (the fresh authentic Mexican not the heavy beans and rice Chevy's tex-mex BS) and the ribs have been extraordinary.

It has a solid music scene, so I hear. (HAH! A pun). Though I haven't seen it. I'm one of the rare dweeb's who doesn't add “music” to my list of interests on my myspace page.

From what I've seen Austin is pretty cool. I could see it being on the short list of cities that I could live in. I think the key is the people. they are super-friendly and abnormally attractive.

Note to self: Recap that short list here at some point.

Labels: Austin, culture, food, January, society, travel, vacation

# posted by Max : 1/19/2009 06:14:00 AM 2 comments

TBS has taken to doing those lame ads where they stop your show and on the lower 1/3 of the screen another dork form some other show starts talking to your about his retarded show. In any case I've written a letter. Feel free to insert your name and send it in.

--INSERT DATE--

TBS
1010 Techwood Dr. NW
Atlanta GA 30318


To Whom it may concern at TBS:


When watching TBS I witnessed an instance where an episode of the show I was watching was interrupted by a plug for the another show. It wasn't a commercial; rather the show was "paused" while a character from the second show made an inane comparison between the two shows.

This is not the first time I have seen this method of advertising and I find it obnoxious. I understand that your business model relies on advertising and that cross promotion of shows is very important. However, I must strenuously suggest that this kind of invasive lower 1/3 screen intrusion is detestable.

Such interruptions are sufficiently annoying that the viewing experience is severely diminished. If it becomes a notably common occurrence I'll stop watching TBS shows and I'm likely not the only one.


Regards,


--ENTER YOUR NAME--
A TBS viewer.

If you feel really hostile I recommend you add the following as the 3rd paragraph:
I like to zone out during commercials. Sometimes I watch if the commercial is interesting but generally I don't pay attention or just TIVO past the commercial. But since you've decided to sneak in a cross promotion I don't have much of a choice. As a consumer I consider it a form of optical rape.

Labels: advertising, commercials, letters, television

# posted by Max : 6/04/2008 06:55:00 PM 0 comments

Its a fairly straight stick with another branching stick glue or otherwise permanently inserted into the side. If I recall the price was 10 dollars. I found it in a country crap store. There was a pile of them. I couldn't figure it out and need an explanation from the clerk.

Do you know what it is? I'll post the answer after I get a few comments.

Labels: consumer goods, quizzes

# posted by Max : 5/27/2008 01:10:00 PM 1 comments

It would seem that the manufacturer of this low-end frozen pepperoni pizza (Schwans) has managed to discover an important number... The number 7. You see the number 7 is the exact minimum number of pepperoni needed to call a frozen cheeze pizza a frozen pepperoni pizza. Any less than seven and it becomes unclear whether each piece will have a pepperoni on it. Though in Schwans defense the best eating method mandates that the pizza be cut in only 2 pieces, which are then folded over in sort of a taco configuration.

The persnickety amongst you probably think that that I misspelled "cheese" in the prior paragraph. I did not. I spelled it with a 'z' because I figure if Schwans wants to use nonstandard cheese ingredients (such as: modified food starch, potassium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, tri-calcium phosphate, magnesium oxide, ferric orthophosphate, cyancobalamin pyridoxine hydrochloride, and others that choke my spell checker) then I can spell cheese with nonstandard cheese letters like 'z' or perhaps even 'qu'. A big fat slice of queeze, anyone?

One final note. This Schwans frozen pepperoni pizza (sold under the name "Tony's) uses in its marketing the trademarked phrase "Tastes Like Fun". I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to think of something fun that is also tasty. Chances are if you think of one its probably not an activity that is appropriate to be put on a pizza box.

Labels: consumer goods, food

# posted by Max : 5/23/2008 09:25:00 AM 1 comments

The next in the long line of crappy but free-to-cheap rides has come. This fine yellow seatless International Scout will be the new camping / gopher-getter. One day (probably in three years or so) it will die. But considering the price (free to a good home) it will fun to light it on fire and roll it off a cliff.

Featured in the photo is Robert pulling away from the curb. The unfamiliar with Robert and his projects might mistake the thing he is siting on as a seat. While you would be correct I promise that its not bolted to anything. Further one might think that there is a roll bar in the back. I promise that piece of safety equipment is sitting in the back and is not connected with the Scout in any way. One might thing that the doors on this "project truck" have been removed for painting or body work. Wrong again. No doors on the Scout. They were sent to the recycler for gas money. With the price of fuel today it will become a trend.

Labels: camping, cars, free, fun

# posted by Max : 5/23/2008 09:08:00 AM 0 comments

I've got the solution! We solve the problem... And no surprise... The its all the fault of the dimwits south of the equator. Thats right! Those lazy jerks have created so little land (and by extension so few plants) that when its summer in southern equator CO2 levels spike because less trees are warm and happy and breathing fast.

My solution? Lets help those southies out and crack open the sea floor (I'm thinking in the pacific or Indian oceans) and make a big new continent. Then the trees and other plants will grow and blam! Problem solved.

Your Welcome.

Labels: big ideas, earth science, global, science

# posted by Max : 5/09/2008 10:37:00 PM 0 comments

Looks like I've lost the New England v. New York Wager. I guess that would make me the sucker. Congratulations Peter. And bonus credit to Peter for saying that the giants were going to win by a field goal. Of course, if you hadn't welshed on your own offered bet of $50 with no spread you would have done better. HA HA! thats what you get! I think its the universe telling you not to welsh on bets.

The check is in the mail. Well not really. Its Sunday so no mail, but tomorrow for sure. Well, not for sure, but I intend to send it tomorrow. No guarantees though. I'm totally doing it this week, just not yet! God Damn it Peter, Lay off!

I would like to go on record as saying its awfully inconsiderate of the Pats to not only fail to cover my modest spread of 4.5 but to go ahead and lose. Shame, shame.

Hey! Are any of you with me in thinking that the last snap was retarded? At some point cant you let the losing team just give? Is it really super necessary to see Eli on his knees with his face in the center's butt for the sake of 1 second of clock time?

I wanted the the Patriots to win. Then we know that the 2007 New England Patriots were the best team ever to lace 'em up. No longer would we have to compare the '72 Dolphins to the '89 Niners, or ponder how the Ditka Bears compare to the Aikman Cowboys. The 2007 Patriots are the best ever, no more discussion. Well Suck, the inane debate continues. Whats worse... its the beginning of the Which-Manning-is-Better debate.

If your one of those who thinks gambling is an ugly taint on sports, I ask you, What says "fan" like putting your money where your mouth is?

Labels: gambling, sports

# posted by Max : 2/03/2008 07:27:00 PM 1 comments

I've got The Patriots at even odds but I had to give away 4.5 points. The Wager is for $25.00. I think I got myself a good deal, in-fact a great deal. So I'll not embarrass the dufuss who I made the bet with by exposing his name. Sucker.

DEAR IRS AUDITOR and MONTANA STATE GAMING COMMISSIONER: The wager spoken of above is not for actual currency. Instead we have agree to bet a non-monetary commodity, our immortal souls. Specifically $25.00 worth of soul. Soul betting isn't covered by the gaming commission and souls aren't taxable so this wager doesn't concern you.

Labels: gambling, sports

# posted by Max : 2/03/2008 02:03:00 PM 0 comments

The Chinese New Year Parade is upon us. Soon Butte's Chinese New Year Parade will being. It's the Coldest, Loudest, and Shortest Chinese New Year Parade In the World. Today was the day to take the dragon out of is home at the Mai Wah Chinese History Museum and put it in the courthouse. The parade will take it back.

And of course like years past there will be firecrackers all along the parade route. However unlike years past this time the whole affair will be illegal. The Council of Commissioners showed a profound disregard for personal freedoms last month and passed an ordinance against fireworks except for immediately before and after New Years and the 4th. This is the face of 0 fireworks related incidents; and after reassurance to the public that Chinese New Year would be specifically excluded from the ban.

Labels: Chinese New Year, image, Montana, politics, rights

# posted by Max : 2/01/2008 03:18:00 PM 0 comments

Today's "Word of the Day"

Crap-a-lanche - When a pile of your crap falls over, esp. if it blocks a passage like the door, or your route to the fridge.

And no. I don't actually intend to come up with a new word every day; and you are a freak for thinking so.

Labels: fun, word of the day

# posted by Max : 1/28/2008 08:34:00 PM 0 comments