I hadn't posted in a while...

Here's a nice Halloween cartoon...



"Johnny won the annual office Halloween Costume Contest when he showed up to work yesterday as 'A poorly mopped up blood stain'."

Haven't seen Johnny yet today. Weird.

Hey, in case anyone here uses the Yahoo! Widget Engine (yahoo widgets) , I've modified/cusomized an RSS reader widget for (e:strip).org.

"Widgets" are little applictions that run on your desktop and can do anything. I've seen cool calendar apps, little clocks, an awesome weather thingy, and RSS feed displays (like the one I'm posting for (e:strip)).

I posted it for download on my home page at estrip widget

The widget will display the 10 most recent posts from estrip.org and let you visit the posts by clicking on the titles.

(The widget should work with Konfabulator, too, since it's the same thing.)

Feel free to download, modify, and/or distribute the widget as you please.

Anyways, free (e:strip) nerd toy...
Enjoy!

-Scott

(e:jenks) left a comment for my last post that kinda sets me off... It's not just at what she said, but at an attitude that I've seen from many people (often the same ones who boast about their IQ ( see (e:scott,10) )

It seems that there is a school of thought that breeds the attitude that it's somehow unintelligent to enjoy watching sports. Why is that?

Here's a rant-like essay to help give fellow sports fans ammo against the buzz-killing anti-sport, psuedo-egghead crowd...

Why putting down hockey makes you look like a disgruntled, uninformed teenager.

I say "disgruntled, uninformed teenager" because of the intangable attitude inherent to all anti-sports (anti-hockey) arguments. There's an air of "I'm so smarty pants" to these people. They seem to imply that they're on a more intellenctual plain of existence. They're more enlightened and if you don't see things their way, you're a neandethal.

Bashing sports may seem "hip" or something to some, but it just seems like you're being a "stick in the mud" to me. No one has to be a fan. That's fine. People have other interests, that's fine. It's when people pretend like any knowledge of sports is evil that gets me... Why say anything at all if you don't care about sports? I'll tell you why... it's the "disgruntled teen" thing...

Well, I'm gonna end that right here, with this amazing blog...

Sports are a perfectly valid form of entertainment.

Here's why:

As a player:
Sports provide exercise, a sense of teamwork (sometimes) and even a socially acceptable outlet for agression and competition among kids and adults. We try so hard in our society to pretend that humans aren't agressive. Well get over it. Aggression is part of life and we need healthy outlets. Playing sports is a healthy outlet.

As a viewer: Sports fill a lot of roles that traditional drama cannot, like the following:
[list]
It's unscripted and far better than improv comedy.
It allows a community to come together and root for the 'home team'. (I'm pretty sure my fellow e-strip folks are down with a sense of community, so I don't need to sell that point.)
It involves watching talented people do their thing (unlike reality tv, where people watch un-talented people do each other)
It's great conversation fodder.
[/list]

I like acting, and I also like watching plays. I like painting, and I also like looking at paintings. The same goes for sports. I like playing hockey, and I also like watching the best players play. So, I truly feel you can enjoy both without shame.

To discount professional sports as it's own artform is ignorant, at best. I'm not the first person to enjoy watching sports. (I think the ancient greeks and romans had a bit of their own pro sport going on...) Personally, I feel acting "too cool" to enjoy sports is extremely pretentious.

Now, about hockey in particular...

Hockey is NOT inherently violent. Any activity can turn ugly. I've seen drama kids get pretty nasty. Violence involves intent to do harm. Hockey is aggressive, not violent. Violent acts may happen once in a while, but those result in penalties and/or suspensions (because it's not part of the game). If hockey were violent, players would use their sticks as weapons and people would die. That just doesn't happen.

Many people can't tell the difference, but there is one.

To equate hockey agression (hard checking, fast skating, fighting) with real violence is not a valid argument. The players wear pads and expect to get hit. It's a contact sport and no player would want it any other way. All sports tend to carry the risk of injury. In fact, most fun in life has risk of injury. If we're arguing over what is an acceptable risk of injury, I'm sure I could provide you with statistics that show that hockey is less dangerous than many other popular activities. That's a silly argument for another silly journal entry. For this article, I'm stating that the risk of injury is acceptable. (Certainly no worse than skiing, skateboarding, or sex, and I don't write nasty comments depreciating the value of any of those.)

About hockey fights:

Most detractors point to fights as the reason why hockey is "violent". These detractors generally have no clue what hockey's about, which is why they feel qualified to judge it. Believe it or not, hockey fights have purpose. In most cases, the combatants are players sticking up for their teammates, or trying to give their team a 'boost'. The fights are mostly symbolic and have a sense of built-in honor. (These are big men, if they wanted to really hurt each other, they could.)

No one wants to really hurt anyone. They may look all pissed off, but it's just aggression, NOT violence. In fact, hockey fights very rarely cause injury beyond a bloody nose, and you'll notice that the combatants usually shake hands after the game. That sure doesn't seem like a real brawl to me.

Conclusion:

All entertainment requires some form of suspension of disbelief. If you're not willing to enjoy it, it won't be fun. Here's some tips to help not be a "hockey hater". If you've tried all of this and still can't enjoy it, then you may have a legitimate beef with hockey as a sport and I can't help you, you're a weenie.

Take hockey as entertainment and you'll start to "get it". Hockey gets a bad name from idiots who take it too seriously. (I can't stand art critics, but I still enjoy the Albright Knox.)
Learn to ice skate and you'll start to appreciate the speed and skill of the players.
Go to a big game and feel the excitement and you may finally be able to jump on the home town bandwagon. There's plenty of room.

So, I think I've provided a little bit o' feedback on this subject.

Hopefully this post will either convince some to stop being all "anti", or at least get them to stop trying ruin the rest of our fun. Face it, this town needs something to cheer about. If it happens to be a hockey team, go with it... enjoy it. Be part of the fun, not the ass who tries to detract from the fun. If we ever do win anything, it'll be good for this city, and we should enjoy it. There's plenty of bad things in Buffalo to bring us down. How mahy events do you see that can lift us up? C'mon and enjoy it.

A side note... Those people on the corner (e:jenks) mentioned were probably selling Buffalo News 'Kids Day' editions for Women and Children's Hospital, not touting the Sabres' victory.

(Additionally, W&C Hospital would probably be closed without the charitable acts of hockey players, like Pat Lafontaine.)

All that being said... I still hate NASCAR. Screw watching cars make left turns all day. I gots no tolerance for that redneck crap!!


...thanks for reading my rabling crap...

;)

In honor of our local boys done good, I've created a new meal to enjoy...

Ingredients:

1 Can CAMPBELL's Soup (Tomato)
1 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 package of Philly Steaks
1 Kimeweck roll

[list]
Cook philly steaks.
Pack philly steaks into a UMBERGER like shape.
smother in wing sauce.
Place on kimeweck roll.
[/list]

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Place UMBERGER sandwich on ice surface with head down.
Smash with CAMPBELL'S SOUP as hard as possible.

Serves: 8-2

Enjoy.

============================
For those with no clue what this post is about, check this link:


It's about half way through the highlights so be patient, it's worth it.

I heard a story today about people sitting around boasting about their IQ scores.

This wasn't at my job, and the source of the story shall remain nameless, since it doesn't really matter...

This is an easy target for a rant, and I can't pass up a lame duck waiting to be shot.

Besides, the person who told me the story today heard all of this bullshit in person and asked that I scribble it somewhere so she can spit it back sometime... so here we go...

This rant isn't about any individual person, but rather about the IQ test itself, and, more importantly, the pompous asses who feel the need to tell me (or anyone) their IQ...


My view on the IQ (Intelligence Quotient)(WIKIPEDIA - I.Q.)...

In order to rant, I need to lay down my opinion on the IQ test. I do not feel that the test itself is total crap. It may have some uses. My opinion is that it's abused. Most people don't understand it and take it as a yardstick for intellect. It's not.

The IQ test tells us one thing: How well the subject did in the test. It's a test. That's all... it's not a measurement. It's not a diagnosis. It's just a test.

Still, people insist that thair IQ means something more. I beg to differ, and here's why...

I have some fundamental problems with the idea of an "Intelligence quotient" which I'd like to describe in some detail...

1. Defining intelligence: What is "intelligence" [dict] intelligence[/dict]?
(The definitions I've researched are all quite vague.) I have yet to see a 100% agreeable, all-enconpassing definition. Still, we need to settle on something or we're sunk in this article. In that interest, I think we can all agree that intelligence is a quality relating to the ability of one to think, reason, and solve problems. That's pretty consistant with common definitions you'll fiind out there.

I think this common definition lacks one key factor...

2. Motivation: If you don't need (or want) to solve a problem, the intelligent thing to do is to avoid the problem altogether. Skip it. Move on, nothing to gain/lose, so why waste mental resources.

What if the test isn't "your idea of fun"... There's no direct, tangable consequences for a poor grade. Are you less intelligent for blowing it off? If I don't enjoy crossword puzzles, am I less intelligent as my twin who does enjoy them? I don't think so. Motivation's gotta be there to test problem solving ability and get a real answer.

So, here we have a major problem. The subject has to want to take the test. The IQ tests that are most "accurate" are those taken in early childhood. How many little kids want to take tests? Not all kids motivate the same way, and it's kinda illegal to torture them,so how do we account for motivation? If a little kid doesn't want to take a test, what do the answers really measure? That leads me to the next problem... the test itself...

3 Cultural Bias: This one's obvious. Cultural bias is always a mitigating factor in sociological experimentation. There's copious data out there from folks showing that the test scores are culturally skewed. I'm not going to waste time with that. (You can just search google(GOOGLE - I.Q. Test cultural bias) and find 100's of hits.)

OK. So we're just going to ignore the cultural bias debate. Even if we ignore cultural bias.... I have another complaint...

4. Apples and Oranges: Quantitatively measuring a qualitative trait. Huh?
It seems to me that intelligence is a fluid trait. It's a quality that can have many factors. Some of these factors are measurable. (how many digits can you remember (short term memory)), how quickly can you sort some shapes...etc.

Other factors seem more transient...
How well rested are you?
How much stress are you under?
Have you eaten today? (current blood sugar level)
Are you on drugs? (effecting the neurotransmitter reception in the brain)

Still others are less transient,but change due to your environment...
Are you in shape?
Have you been mentally active lately (reading, painting, writing, coding, studying... any "mental exercise" will boost performance.)

So, I think I've established that intelligence is a fluctuating, situationally dependent, environmentally influenced quality. Great. Now let's measure it with a standardized test. What? No. It don't work that way. It's like trying to tell me who is defninitively the hottest woman ever. Sorry, can't be done. You can have opinions, and even statistical data, maybe even a vote... but somewhere, to someone, Bea Arthur(WIKIPEDIA - Bea Arthur) is the be-all end-all hottie. (Gotta love them Golden Girls)

So, this leads me to my rant.... (Yeah, it took a while to get here. If you're still reading this, wow, i'm impressed. You must have a high IQ...)

The main event: Idiots who tell you their IQ score.

There is no reason to know your IQ score. There's nothing good that can come of it. I took the test as a child. My folks never told me my score. I'm really glad they didn't. (70's passing, right? It's like a regeant's exam, right?)

What could possibly come of knowing your IQ?
If your score is low: Could you under-achieve you whole life and have a convenient excuse?
If your score is high: Could you look down your nose at people, or (even worse) could you just expect everything to come to you?

I've wracked my brain and can't come up with a single good use for knowing your IQ...

So, there's no reason to know your score, fine...

What if you just happen to know it, and it's high? Why not boast about your high IQ? I mean... you aced that test when you were 5. You kicked some bootay... now You get to let everyone know you're a genious, right?

No. Please don't... here's why...

Because it can only say bad things about you, like the following:
1. You really have a high IQ, yet you still managed to become an arrogant ass. Wow. Glad you got that high IQ, ass.
2. You're afraid people think you're stupid, or you think your stupid and saying you have a high IQ might get some respect. Well, now they think you're a jerk, too.


Well, unfortunately, this isn't what happens... what happens is some other idiot pipes up and says their IQ is 2 points higher than yours. (Which may, or may not be true)

The end result:

Every once in a while, I get stuck in a canversation where someone starts mentioning IQ scores. This usually is an aquaintance or some friend-of-a-friend. How the subject comes up, I never know, but it happens. Some dorkwad decides to talk about how gifted they are. (It's usually a suburbanite who went to prep school. I should know. I am one.)

For some reason, most people actually sit there and endure this type of "intellectual posing".

I am now resolved to put and end to IQ boasting. From now on, I shall do my best to ensure that I state my IQ is at least 10 points higher than any jerkoff who tells me their IQ. What can he/she do? Argue with me? Demand proof? I sure as shit know they aren't carrying their IQ results around. (If they are, that's too priceless to pass up!)

If we all start this, pretty soon, well all be menza material...(Oh I'll get to Menza another day....)

So, the last IQ I had thrown at me was 141. Therefore, my new IQ is 151 until some asshole says they have a higher one.

bored at work today. summer's coming. here's some shots I took at the "Stueben County Fair" last August.

the Stueben County Fair is one of the oldest in the nation (possibly the oldest) and one of the creepiest (possibly the creepiest)...

It's a photographer's dream. An old time carnival/fair right out of the 1920's, complete with creepy carni artwork, old rides, freak shows, and a smash-up derby.

These were taken with my little crappy Cannon Powershot. I plan to bring a better camera back this year. I hadn't planned on going and really wish I'd brought a decent camera.

I've pretty much stuck to posting suggestions with a joyous theme, but as we all know, not every moment is one of exuberant joy. There are dull, drab days in our lives... and we need songs to fill them. So, here's goes...

scene/mood: Rainy, damp and dreary. Perfect song for driving down elmwood with the rain beading on the windows. Stair at the curb as it blurs in and out of focus and cue up this song...
Song: Tied to a Million Things
Artist: the Pale Pacific
Album: Urgencey
Description: Maybe it's where they're from, but the Pale Pacific have put together a track that's smooth yet driving with a somber, yet energetic feel. This indie pop track fits well into any Cd collection. The band sounds like an indie version of Toad the Wet Sprocket.... enjoy.

I work in a "technology incubator" facility at UB. I know at least a few of you (e:people) know where that is.

According to UB, this is where new business is born. According to me, this is where money comes to die.


Here's the only thing incubating at this facility:



This pair of Canada geese have settled in in our entrance way. The male has since grown territorial and protective of the nest, so visitors to our building get gander-assaulted.

It's brilliant. All we need now is some jackass to video tape this and send it to Animal Planet. (I would, but I don't own a video camera.)

The only downside to this is going to be when a car finally rails these geese and we have a gooey, feathery mess in the parking lot. That will suck, but until then, it's a damned circus out there.

So, if you want to see moronic office workers in biz-cas friday attire getting chased by a pooping goose, visit the needlessly imposing building sorta-on UB's North Campus... if you dare!

As the weather continues to improve, it's an easy pick... nothing says springtime, fresh air and all that like...

Scene: The lyrics can set the scene for you. Roll down the windows and get some fresh air. This track makes a perfect background for a sunset drive in the spingtime.
Song: Rodeo Clowns
Artist: G. Love and the Special Sauce
Album: Philadelphonic
Description: It's G. Love. You need some G. Love in your life. When spring approaches, we all need a little G Love in our lives. As always, this track provides the G Love smoothness, and the Philidelphonic sounds...

OK, I saw that Channel 2 ran a story last night about the increased presence of turkeys in WNY this spring. That's all well and good, but I published an expose on this situation weeks ago...

(Check the link, yo... )

If you ask me, Channel 2 and their "scientist" got all the facts wrong. Man, I really hate it when they use scientists on news broadcasts. So smug and "facty".

Sure, we've had a ideal turkey weather. I guess we're short on wolves and predators... but they missed the real facts behind the turkey explosion. They totally missed the whole conspiracy involving MTV and Ashton Kutcher.

Man, Channel 2 totally dropped the ball. But never fear, you heard the real news from me. I don't weight the story down with trivial details, like facts, either.