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December 30, 2003
What's Wrong With This Ad?
Online matchmaking services have become the new boom following the e-commerce bust. Many sites have jumped on the matchmaking bandwagon - sadly, even Slashdot, the bastion of online nerd culture has become a part of the new craze.
However, it's obvious that all/many of these people are desperate. Some of them are rather risky. Case in point:
I can't imagine a relationship that works out with a person who promotes her self-mutilating tendencies. Then again, certain teenage cliques thrive on that principle.
Posted by Nobi at 01:14 PM | Comments (0)
December 25, 2003
Gifts. Mentally Challenged Gifts.
I've had the TardBlog linked for a while now. It's a collection of entries chronicling the things that a special ed teacher has to go through. Here's a classic entry about some of the gifts the teacher received for Christmas.
On a more sappy note, from the Denver Post is an article describing the gifts given to teachers by inner-city kids.
Posted by Nobi at 01:28 PM | Comments (0)
Hotels for the Holidays: Kurisumasu in Japan.
Every year, Christmas summons various images. From the catchy background music at the stores, all the way to the caring spirit of humanity.
But those are the images created in a traditional American society. In the non-Christian, Japanese society, however, Christmas is overshadowed by the significance of New Year's. To the Japanese, Christmas is yet another opportunity for commercialization and pseudo-sentimental moments for teens and couples.
The Christmas cake is symbolic to the modern, Japanese family. The office working husband is often obligated to bring home a cake to his wife and children. This can be difficult, when many of the bakeries have already closed (and counting the money they raked in) and the working man is trying to catch the last train home. This scene is often repeated in Japan's numerous hit dramas.
For the not-yet-married couples, Christmas holds some sentimental value to reaffirm their feelings for each other. The exchange of cute little gifts is typical. Just as common is a romantic Christmas date in the city. Of course, the merchants are aware of this, and offer special dinners and other bonuses for being a customer during the holidays. Through the city, Christmas pop songs fill the air - there's at least three major winter hits each year, getting the population in the mood.
Once the couple is finished with their dinner, they go the center of modern Japanese culture to consummate their relationship: the love hotel. The concept is simple - couples pay a fee to stay in a room that's outfitted with a shower, a bed, and condoms. (Toys optional.) This has obviously led to the rise of teenage prostitution, but alas, it's Japan.
And so, the happy night ends for the couple. The business-owners are also content, successfully capitalizing on such a 'special' night.
Even the virgins and the men without dates are able to contribute to the economy on Christmas night. To down their sorrows, groups tend to party at clubs, pubs, and the ubiquitous karaoke bars. Those that are more desperate can always go to another symbol of modern Japan: the red light district in Tokyo. They can then proceed to the love hotels for more spending.
And that is the joy of the holidays to the Japanese. Merry Christmas.
For further reading, see here, here, here, and some pictures here.
Posted by Nobi at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2003
Retroactive Bonuses for the Holidays
Sappy holiday story of the day.
Harry Stine is the CEO of Stine Seed Co. in Iowa, a company that has been successful in the soybean industry. Stine decided to give every one of his 270 workers a bonus of $1,000 - for every year that they worked.
Some earned $1,000, while others received $20,000, with an average of $4,000. In all, he handed out over $1 million in bonuses.
Posted by Nobi at 11:20 PM | Comments (0)
The Chronicles of Narnia Under Production
Following the completion of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, another epic is starting production in New Zealand - The Chronicles of Narnia.
The seven-book series, written in the 1950s by C.S. Lewis, has long been a classic children's fantasy tale. Due to the content of the stories, only five of the seven titles will be filmed - but that's still a longer story arc than the average epic (a blatant oxymoron).
The first film, based on "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," already has a $150 million budget. In addition to working with the beautiful environments of New Zealand, there are some big names working on the series. The director is Andrew Adamson, who won an Oscar for Shrek. Digital effects and editing is being handled by Weta Digital, known for their work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Master and Commander, and The Last Samurai.
New Zealand has long been looked at as a great place for filming - both Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules were filmed there. Jokingly, the New Zealand tourism board published a full-page ad, gloating their Oscar win for "Best Supporting Country."
Posted by Nobi at 01:18 PM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2003
Silliness via Google
If you got to this page by searching for "step by step how to get pregnant" or "tell why somebody like red color":
You're an idiot.
Also, the fact that the sex bracelets post received 50+ comments (by various "disgruntled parents/teachers" and pedophiles) is, in itself, stupid.
Posted by Nobi at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2003
Winamp 5 Released
Not really significant, but more of a public service announcement:
AOL/Nullsoft has released Winamp 5, the latest incarnation of the flexible, customizable media player for Windows.
The hottest feature, undoubtedly, is the revamped media library - for an example, see this shot. Very accessible and easy to handle.
Get your copy today. Or something.
Posted by Nobi at 07:33 PM | Comments (0)
The Wright Brothers: 100 Years of Being American.
Today marks the 100th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright's successful flights with the Wright flyer. A replica, meticulously created based on the brothers' designs, failed today's launch, due to poor weather conditions.
President George W. Bush, coming off a high of 10,000+ stock market closes and the capture of Saddam Hussein, came to the commemoration ceremony in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to give a speech. And, being the patriot that he is, filled his speech with the power of the American dream.
The Wright brothers' invention belongs to the world, but the Wright brothers belong to America. We take special pride in their qualities of discipline and persistence, optimism and imagination of people like them, and a lot of other people throughout our history.A great American journey that began at Kitty Hawk continues in ways unimaginable to the Wright brothers. One small piece of their Flyer traveled far beyond this field. It was carried by another flying machine, on Apollo 11, all the way to the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon. These past hundred years have brought supersonic flights, frequent space travel, the exploration of Mars, and the Voyager One spacecraft, which right now is moving at 39,000 miles per hour toward the outer edge of our solar system. By our skill and daring, America has excelled in every area of aviation and space travel. And our national commitment remains firm: By our skill and daring, we will continue to lead the world in flight.
Posted by Nobi at 06:50 PM | Comments (0)
Dead People and Closet Skeletons.
Former Senator Strom Thurmond died this past June at 100. He's known for opposing the Civil Rights Act by executing a filibuster, where he talked continually for 24 straight hours. (He got so desperate that he read from a telephone book). He was also a part of the Dixiecrats, a southern Democrat party that supported segregation.
Today, 78-year old Essie Mae Washington-Williams came forward and admitted that she was a secret child of Thurmond. That's not the issue - the issue is that she was born in wedlock between Thurmond and a teenage black housekeeper.
At least this brought closure to Essie Mae.
Posted by Nobi at 06:38 PM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2003
It Only Took Her Two Years.
Here's Michelle Branch, between 2001-2003, following the release of her debut album:
Here's Michelle Branch, now:
As well as more risque pictures here, here, and here.
I particularly like the "Are you happy now?" message on her chest in the first photo.
And to make this post a little more useful, here are complimentary, two-year subscriptions to Maxim and Stuff magazines. Just be sure to use a fake email address.
Posted by Nobi at 08:40 AM | Comments (0)
Milk and Cereal
Via MetaFilter, two dumbass college guys from Virginia Tech, and their music video about Milk... and Cereal.
Posted by Nobi at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)