Arbitrary Musings

I’ve been starting to use the built-in camera on my cell phone to capture scenes that are bizarre, humorous, or stimulate my mind. So, in the first of what I hope to be multiple installments, I thought I’d share a few of those photos and some commentary.

First off, let’s take a trip to Starbucks. I don’t know what the situation is in other areas of the country, but many of the stores here now have flat panel screens on the walls:

I thought this was a great way of integrating technology into a coffee shop without being too obtrusive. It’s obvious that the reason these have been installed is so that Starbucks can sell more of their featured music in the stores. However, there isn’t a downside for users like me, who have no intention of purchasing. I still get to know information that I otherwise wouldn’t know without asking the barrista, the displays aren’t in your face, and the interface is well designed and has a minimalism that’s quite appealing.

On to the next picture. After a meeting in Bellevue, a whole bunch of employees, including myself, took a shuttle back to campus. I spied these boxes above the driver, and the one on the right perked my interest:

Everyone has those small first aid kits, but I wondered to myself, “What’s in a body fluid cleanup kit?” I suppose there are some cloths, chemicals, etc. Are there instructions for particular types of fluids? And what fluids does the kit cover, anyways? Let’s say I was leaking some bile…can this kit help me out?

Last one. I snapped this photo at the company store:

Someone must have obviously tried opening up a box; otherwise, why would they need the sign? To whoever you are: enjoy sharing your music with…oh wait, who else owns one? On a small tangent, I was glad to see that the DRM has been cracked. Down with DRM!’

I think that’s enough for the installment. I hope you enjoyed, and we’ll see you all again for the next round of pics.

It seems that every time I see an advertisement for a reality show, the basis for the program inches ever so closer to the ramblings of someone in an insane asylum. As I was watching a re-run of CSI on TV last night, I saw a commercial for a new show. Thanks to Google, I found the description of the show online. Here’s the synopsis:

“Each episode will feature one real crime, complete with a gruesome recreated crime scene and real crime footage, ripped from the closed case files of Homicide Departments across the United States. Two teams of real people, comprised of three members each, will compete to be the first to solve the case, correctly, in 48 hours.”

Granted, it’s not the real crime scene, but this premise is pretty f’d up nonetheless. The TV ad I saw even showed a lucky “contestant” retching from the sight of the crime. Since this made the cut, I’m guessing it’s one of the show’s highlights.

If this is what’s airing now, imagine what will come next. In case you can’t, I thought up some great ideas for those upcoming writers who want to break into the lucrative reality TV business:

• Flame and Glory: Two teams of civilians will don firefighter gear and attempt to extinguish a real blaze, saving the men, women, and children inside. Will they save the day, or will countless people die from their ineptitude?
• Not Your Average “Talk” Show: Every week, a random bank will be held up and several innocent civilians taken hostage. A team of real people will be brought in with the leader attempting to negotiate with the suspect. Other team members become snipers and will rise to the challenge if the negotiation turns sour.
• Extreme Coronary Makeover, Trauma Edition: Grey’s Anatomy, ER, and House are among the most popular drama shows on television. With all that medical knowledge, you’d think the average Joe could perform open heart surgery. Well, your assumptions will be put to the test every week. Participants will be guided by a trained surgeon as they perform triple bypasses, septal myectomies, mitral valve repairs, and more! With this much excitement, we guarantee you won’t be flatlining!

I welcome any more ideas. Let’s keep those reality TV shows coming!

Earlier last week I met with my new dietician; our goal is for me to eat particular food groups throughout the day so that I have the correct ratio of dairy, protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and fats, all in 3 meals and 3 snacks. It sounds like a lot, but everything is in the right portion size. Before I went to the grocery store, I studied the list of protein sources, fat sources, etc. so that I knew what to purchase.

While I was in the fruit section of fresh produce, I spied upon a display of coconuts. Usually I’d pass by without even noticing, but that fact that it was on my list (2 Tbsp coconut = 1 fat serving) and had a sign which boasted “quick crack“, I thought I would give it a try.

The coconut was easy enough to drain. Once the liquid starting trickling out through one of the holes I had pierced, I simply had to hold it above my mouth and catch a few drops, pretending for a short moment that I was in a movie. The opening of the shell itself was much more difficult. I think the company that scored the coconuts for easy opening think of the term “quick” as relative compared to, say, the time it took for man to evolve from a one-celled organism to the homosapiens we are today. Although there was a distinct line where the coconut was already scored, I had to cut into it further with a knife to weaken the shell. I looked around for something to crack open the shell since my hammer was at work, currently being used to hang frames in my office. I was eventually able to crack it in two by whacking it with the back of a chef’s knife. It might have been easier with a cleaver as suggested, but I didn’t have one. I do love how they explicitly mention to use the backside of the cleaver. Of course, there was also the matter of cutting the meat out of the coconut. All in all, I know I spent at least 1 hour dealing with that one piece of fruit.

On the bright side, I didn’t sustain any injuries, such as getting my hand cut, being stabbed in the leg by reef coral, or knocking my own tooth out with an ice skate. I just wish I had a volleyball to talk to during the whole endeavor. Willllsoonnnn!

Another short post, this time about something I noticed on the way to work. As I was driving on the freeway, I noticed the black VW Beetle in the lane to my right, sporting a biodiesel bumper sticker. “Awesome”, I thought. Here’s someone who’s proud to show that she cares about our air and the environment as a whole.

Of course, this was somewhat negated by the fact that she was spewing cigarette smoke from her mouth while tapping ash out of her window. I guess everyone has trade-offs: less pollution of the environment, more pollution of your alveoli.

From a co-worker:

I would love to be a vegan. But I love eating meat!

And from my yoga instructor (while sitting in baddha konasana):

While keeping your feet together, slowly move your knees further apart. Now say ‘hello!’ to your groins!