jesssse

Houndstooth

2009-08-17T18:59:00.000-04:00

The popular houndstooth textile pattern was invented in 1893 in a weaver's workshop above the Houndstooth Pub, in New York's Garment District.

If You Work Too Much

2009-08-05T23:07:00.000-04:00

You risk scribbling all over your shirt with a pen.

Heads Up!

2009-07-31T09:47:00.003-04:00

A single drop of water, falling from the top of the Empire State Building, carries with it enough force to knock a person unconscious if striking him or her on the head.

Maybe it's time to cut back?

2009-04-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

One serving of Dr Pepper has 40 grams of sugar.

This is what 40 grams of sugar looks like:

Seeing a Pattern (Reprise)

2009-03-06T18:19:00.007-05:00

Canada de la Sabana de la Batata, in the Dominican Republic, is the longest-named place in the world with alternating consonants and vowels. The longest name in which the name is only one word is Nekatitaranagahawewa, which is located in Sri Lanka.

Seeing a Pattern

2009-03-03T19:55:00.002-05:00

The longest named place in the United States with a repeating vowel-consonant-vowel-consonant pattern is Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, with ten letters. There are nine places tied for the shortest, all of which have eight letters.

Benjy, you will be missed...

2008-12-07T17:01:00.000-05:00

Bad things that happened last Friday

2008-11-12T17:04:00.000-05:00

Put rent check in mailbox with no stamp
Broke Windows installations on two computers, requiring reinstallations on both
Forgot to take tin foil off of macaroni and cheese while re-heating in the oven, leading to soggy breadcrumb topping
Left macaroni and cheese under broiler for too long while trying to de-sog the breadcrumbs, leading to burnt breadcrumbs
Touched handle of pan that macaroni and cheese was in, burning finger
Felt damp spot on bed with back when lying down to go to sleep; realized it was cat urine
Slept on hide-a-bed with no blankets due to having cat urine on all blankets and sheets

Things continued to be bad on Saturday, as there was another cat urine spot on my bed in the morning, and I was caught in a rainstorm with no umbrella.

Pizza and a cat

2008-10-29T21:53:00.001-04:00

Meet Benjy

2008-09-29T23:44:00.001-04:00

Chia Homer

2008-09-24T21:07:00.001-04:00

Thing about food I've eaten

2008-09-04T13:17:00.001-04:00

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi (I've had mango lassi, but I don't think I've had salted lassi)
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala (this is my favorite)
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads (just a few days ago)
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox (I've had lox, but I've never had a bagel)
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Welcome to my apartment

2008-08-16T22:16:00.001-04:00

World Record Material

2008-08-15T15:06:00.000-04:00

Student seeks world record for longest leg hair

I have a leg hair that's not too far off from the record. A few days ago I discovered one that I'm guessing is about three inches long. If I can take care of it and not accidentally pull it out, I might be able to break the record. I'm going to do some research so I can find the best shampoo and conditioner for it. Pert Plus isn't going to cut it if I'm really going to make this happen. I'll keep you updated on the hair's status.

Order in the Count

2008-08-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

I've noticed something interesting about the difference in how Olympic medal counts are ranked in the US and pretty much everywhere else.

First, take a look at how American news outlets display the rankings:

New York Times

NBC

CNN/Sports Illustrated

Now look how everyone else does it:

France's Le Monde

Germany's Bild-Zeitung

BBC

China's Xinhua

The only anomaly comes from our neighbors to the north. They seem to want to fit in with the rest of the world, but still curry favor with the world's only remaining superpower.

Toronto Star

a song

2008-07-24T11:13:00.001-04:00

as you may or may not know, i've made a few songs. here's one.

violence in the southside

2008-07-20T19:59:00.001-04:00

there's been a lot of crazy violence in my neighborhood in the last few months. within the couple weeks things have gotten really crazy. i'm glad i'm moving in a couple weeks.

View Larger Map

good call, tucks

2008-06-25T10:24:00.002-04:00

flossing advice

2008-06-23T11:30:00.003-04:00

never attempt to rationalize your skipping flossing for one night. if you say, "i don't need to floss tonight because i've flossed every other night this week," there's nothing to stop you from further rationalizing, and before you know it you will have given up flossing altogether. i have no formal training in oral hygiene, but this has worked for me. also, you may be able to apply this advice to other aspects of your life, but i have yet to try, so if you do your results may vary.

i have to admit

2008-06-22T23:05:00.003-04:00

i peed my pants while playing third base one time. you're the first person i've ever told.

update: i promise i'll refrain from using the urine-based humor that has been the trademark of this blog as of late.

oh the places i've lived

2008-06-18T20:53:00.002-04:00

a little birdy

2008-06-16T11:39:00.001-04:00

the only yearbook page i ever made

2008-06-15T14:54:00.002-04:00

how i spent my saturday

2008-06-14T23:16:00.000-04:00

reason for eating asparagus

2008-06-04T10:25:00.002-04:00

i like eating asparagus not for its taste, but because i am among the 40% of humans for whom the metabolism of asparagus produces the gas methanethiol, which smells of rotten cabbage and is released during urination.

missed anniversary

2008-06-03T15:33:00.001-04:00

i had a huge celebration planned, but i missed the date.

self-improvment regimen

2008-04-18T10:03:00.002-04:00

completed/underway

floss at least once a day
make my bed every morning
keep my room clean
clean dishes as soon as i'm finished eating
eat breakfast at home instead of buying it on my way to work

short-term goals

get more exercise (run a few times a week; do push-ups and sit-ups)
eat healthier food
get to work a little earlier (before 9:15)
bring lunch from home more often
do volunteer work more often
study/do homework (when i start taking my class at the end of the month)

long-term goals

graduate from college
get my own apartment
cut down on dr pepper/candy consumption

Some buildings from my office

2008-03-27T12:41:00.001-04:00

enjoying that boric acid, cockroach?

2008-03-10T00:04:00.000-04:00

my doppleganger

2008-03-08T15:14:00.002-05:00

if you were wondering what i look like, this is it. i have limbs, though.

i found it here.

some words i know in other languages

2008-03-07T09:48:00.003-05:00

코끼리
la fenêtre
silla
колбаса
аспирант
고양이

trabajo
자동차
карандаш

l'arbre
나쁜 개 (this is actually a phrase)

i twisted my ankle

2008-02-25T20:18:00.000-05:00

c'est a toi!

2008-02-19T23:45:00.000-05:00

update on coke problem

2008-02-19T16:49:00.001-05:00

over the weekend i received a nice letter and a coupon for a free 12-pack of any coke product. i really appreciate the way the coca-cola company handled my situation.

salmon en croûte

2008-02-16T20:54:00.002-05:00

angry letter to the coca-cola company

2008-02-08T17:41:00.000-05:00

my office provides employees with free beverages. yesterday i went to get a coke and the can i grabbed was empty, with a hole on the bottom. i decided to write an angry letter to the coca-cola company, the contents of which follow.

Dear Coca-Cola Company,

In a 12-pack I bought there was one empty can! It had a hole in the bottom! Can I get a refund?! You should give me one!

and here is their response:

Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company. We appreciate your taking the time to make us aware of your experience and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

We are very interested in this unusual situation and would like to obtain additional information, so we can provide a complete report to the appropriate management. We would like to request the following:

• Your name, address, and daytime telephone number;
• The name of the product you purchased as it appears on the can (Coca-Cola classic, Diet Coke, Sprite, etc.);
• The date you purchased the product and the date the incident occurred;
• The name, street address, and city of the store where you purchased the product;
• The number of ounces contained in the can (for example, 12-oz. can) and the multi-pack size (6-pack or 12-pack Fridge Pack);
• The complete date code (similar to NOV2707XPE12:13CT225) located on the bottom of the can or the outside of the carton;
• The can lid code, which is located on the lid of the can near the stay tab. It is a series of five alpha and numerical digits that resemble the following: V 220 J.

Please feel free to reply directly to this message with the information and you should expect a response soon. We do ask that you hold on to the packaging until one of our representatives contacts you back.

Please include the following reference number in the subject line: ############. (editor's note: number obfuscated for privacy)

We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to hearing from you again.

Sheila
Industry and Consumer Affairs
The Coca-Cola Company

words about some other words

2008-02-07T20:45:00.000-05:00

if you are one of those people that enjoys reading strategically arranged words, you should look at my friend percival's blog.

parade of fools

2008-02-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

i saw a parade of fools,
their silver monolith held high.
the grovelling throngs cheered
as paper rain fell from the sky.

words for an old friend

2008-01-29T21:53:00.000-05:00

the saccharine syrup never fails to sate an unending want for a life more substantial.

a cat in a box

2008-01-29T09:04:00.001-05:00

photo by m. hershey

bernoulli

2008-01-28T15:03:00.001-05:00

view from an office window

2008-01-23T08:52:00.001-05:00

view from an apartment fire escape

2008-01-22T19:09:00.001-05:00

end-to-end

2008-01-22T13:12:00.000-05:00

the easternmost point in the united states is point udall in the u.s. virgin islands. the westernmost point? point udall on the island of guam.

soup

2008-01-22T11:24:00.000-05:00

one or two shallots
a couple stalks of celery
a leek
a large carrot
1/4 cup of butter
three tablespoons of olive oil
three medium potatoes - peeled and quartered
1/4 cup of flour
a cup of milk
two cups of water
two tablespoons of salt
a teaspoon of pepper

heat the oil and butter in a pot (it should be big enough to hold all of the soup). remove the green parts from the leek and cut it length-wise. rinse well under running water. thinly slice the leek. mince the shallots, carrots, celery, and and saute with the leeks for about five minutes, or until all have softened and the leeks and shallots have become translucent. add flour and stir, making sure all flour has been saturated with oil. continue stiring for about five minutes. stir in milk, then stir in water. add potatoes, salt, and pepper. boil, stirring occasionally, until potatoes become soft.

leaky ceiling

2008-01-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

water drips from the ceiling near the pipe. the occasional thud from a wad of soggy plaster coming to rest on the floor relieves me of my television-induced stupor.

Groucho

2008-01-19T10:03:00.000-05:00