incessant

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 17:59:59 GMT

YOU ARE

This Is Gravity

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:09:31 GMT

gravity_comic writes a web comic. I suggest you go read it.

You know you want to take this...

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 01:24:40 GMT

The Escape Artist

We don't know how you figured it out, but you've managed to keep your lovers close despite your critical view of the world. Maybe you aren't cynical, just a little cautious. Either way, you've managed to keep your head on your shoulders. You do have a little bit of misanthropy going on up in there, but hey, when you build your solar powered cabin in the woods everything will be fine.

It's very rare to meet someone so clever that isn't into taking advantage of romantic or sensitive people. Your best seduction move: be your honest and insightful self. A straight shooter, (even a slightly damaged straight shooter) is a fine catch for anyone.

I think I need more interests...

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 02:10:55 GMT

I had no idea I had an interest in groups of children in a weird room. That one doesn't show up on the preview. Weird.

Create your own! Originally Written By ga_woo, Hosted and ReWritten by darkman424

Come visit me!

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 12:14:30 GMT

Looking for something to do today? The Small Press Book Fair is happening at Trinity-St Paul's Centre (427 Bloor Street West) from 11-5. I'll be at the table for Lowlife Publishing/The Scream Literary Festival.

Maybe I'm easily amused...

Sun, 28 May 2006 03:41:44 GMT

Invisibility Cloaks Possible, Study Says

Click on Enlarge Picture and read the caption.

Why I love Moosewood...

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 01:30:55 GMT

Amy, you wanted veggie recipes? Here's one! Seriously delicious, done in the time it takes to cook pasta.

Blend equal parts tomato (canned or fresh) and walnuts (I did half a cup for just me and have extra to put on a potato tomorrow) with a clove or two of garlic, a bit of olive oil and salt. Toss with hot pasta, throw fresh basil on top and go weak in the knees with enjoyment.

The wonderful Moosewood Simple Suppers says to use a cup of tomato/walnut for a pound of pasta, if that helps anybody.

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:53:56 GMT

My LiveJournal Friends

Try out this Meme

Brought to you by BearPodcast.

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 06:11:24 GMT

It stopped! :D

Update: It stopped for a whole 7 minutes. Now it's back. :(

Make it stop!

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 05:36:01 GMT

For once I'm not talking about school work. The building's fire alarm has been going off for 45 minutes. We have newspaper taped over the source of the sound and Eden found a couple of pairs of earplugs. A water pipe burst and it's causing the alarm thing to malfunction. The property management should have done something about it ages ago...I dunno if they can't get ahold of them or what. It hurrrrrrrrrrts.

American Media: A Canadian Perspective

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 17:28:32 GMT

CBC's Fifth Estate made a fabulous documentary called Sticks and Stones. You can watch the whole thing from the website. It's 42 minutes well spent.

(come on, you know you want to spend some quality time with Ann Coulter today...)

Who knew?

Sat, 03 Dec 2005 00:49:37 GMT

Jesus Christ!
71% spiritual, 76% kind, 73% intelligent

Congratulations. You're loving, smart, and zen! Your historical
namesake is the Divine embodiment that preached the law of love and
died for the salvation of mankind. (6 B.C. - 27 A.D.)

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 70% on spirituality
You scored higher than 75% on kindness
You scored higher than 79% on intelligence

Link: The historical figure resemblance Test written by servusDei on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Apparently i DO have a talent..

Mon, 21 Nov 2005 05:22:26 GMT

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others.
You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around.
The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it.
Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Because they care...

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:51:33 GMT

it's escalator safety week.

Organizing Recipes

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 19:08:29 GMT

I'm actually writing out recipes on cards and putting them in a box for the first time. I got tired of having little pieces of paper all over the kitchen, and Chris provided me with a box and some cards.

Now I have to decide how to organize them. What sections would you make in a vegetarian recipe box?

The Company Cookbook

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 05:31:15 GMT

The funniest thing I've seen in a while.

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 14:11:20 GMT

I was stirring my oatmeal with berries, thinking what a lovely shade of pink it was...then I decided to taste it and dripped it all down my white shirt. Yay!

Sat, 08 Oct 2005 17:07:55 GMT

I'm such an idiot for not thinking of this sooner. If you read this in the next half hour or so and want Neil to sign a copy of Anansi Boys for you, let me know!

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 11:15:45 GMT

I can't figure out the time difference, so I'm not sure when this should be posted to ensure that you'll read it on your actual birthday...but happy birthday nonetheless!

Now, come back to North America and I'll give you a present! *hugs*

argh

Fri, 17 Jun 2005 01:39:57 GMT

My computer is currently not speaking to the internet, so I'll be semi-absent for a while. If anybody knows a trustworthy place or person who would fix my computer if I gave them money (and/or cookies) I'd love to know about them.

Sat, 14 May 2005 03:36:18 GMT

This article about smells and genetics blew my mind. I'm going to have to go off the pill in order to smell potential mates. Insanity, I tell you. It's long, but I swear it's worth it.

JP, thanks for reminding me of how incredibly cool smell is. Not that I'd really forgotten..but ya know.

Not a nice thing to wake up to.

Mon, 09 May 2005 11:30:28 GMT

Hi,

I am assuming you submitted the paper and, somehow, my graduate assistant or I
mislaid it. I will give you an estimated grade. Please email the paper to me.

Sorry for the inconvenience,

Fred Fletcher
University Professor, Communication Studies and Political Science, and
Director, Joint Graduate Program in Communication and Culture
York University
ffletch@yorku.ca
416-736-2100 88819

Ya know...this thing was worth at least 30% of my grade. Depending on how I did on my exam, that could completely fuck me over. Rawwwwwwwwwwr. :(

!!!!

Wed, 04 May 2005 23:15:03 GMT

Sarah! Thank you!

That's a pretty amazing package you put together. The hat and mitts fit perfectly and are gorrrrgeous. Socks will be party socks - so people can see my fabulous samurai toes, and the cat bus is hanging on the kitchen window. I'm so glad he doesn't have testicles. The fish is also very cute.

*hugs hugs hugs*

Cheryllllllllllllllll!

Mon, 02 May 2005 11:31:42 GMT

Happy birthday :)

I'll have an early morning bedroom dance party in your honour.

Neuromarketing: what does your brain think of branding?

Mon, 18 Apr 2005 15:27:03 GMT

"Neuromarketing is a controversial new field of marketing which uses medical technologies such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) -- not to heal, but to sell products."

How fucked up is that? In this study, a researcher looked at MRIs of people while they took the Pepsi Challenge: "Without knowing what they were drinking, about half of them said they preferred Pepsi. But once Montague told them which samples were Coke, three-fourths said that drink tasted better, and their brain activity changed too. Coke "lit up" the medial prefrontal cortex -- a part of the brain that controls higher thinking. Montague's hunch was that the brain was recalling images and ideas from commercials, and the brand was overriding the actual quality of the product."

I'm not surprised to hear that advertising is effective on that level, but it does scare me. So many people (I include myself here) take the "sure advertising is effective...on other people" stance, but if it's actually activating different parts of your brain, there's not much you can do to escape it. Of course, as the article says, we're still capable of making our own decisions, but it's a lot harder to make rational decisions when your brain is actively recalling all the things the advertiser wants you to associate with their product.

But what's to be done about this? It was easy enough to ban subliminal advertising, but this is a whole new level. We can't very well ban advertisers from using psychological data while developing campaigns...but this is pretty scary. It opens up the possibility of creating advertising whose effects the consumer really can't understand. I wonder if thinking critically about advertisements is enough to counteract that recall effect...if then your brain would process "ads say that drinking coke will make me beautiful, but I know that isn't really true" rather than "coke will make me beautiful."

(found this on boingboing.net)