Apple Foot

Things Seen on the Red Line

The MBTA's Red Line is so named because it runs through Harvard Square (red=Harvard Crimson). The red line also stops in the neighborhood of MIT. You see slightly different advertisements on the red line than you do on, say, the orange line. Today I was on the red line and saw an ad for a sperm bank. At first glance, the graphic looked like a hairy dollar sign. Closer examination showed that the drawing actually depicts dozens of spermatozoa attempting to penetrate a dollar sign's outer membrane.

This struck me as crass, but I note on the sperm bank's web site that under "Why Become A Donor?", the reasons listed are (1) you're part of an elite group (2) we pay you (3) you help others fulfill their dream. The more I think about it, the more I think the graphic isn't crass, just honest marketing.

It still feels icky.

Recently misinterpreted

Subject line on spam: "(Make love not war) ezx"

What I read: "Make love not ear wax"

Beer Bottle in C

In my continuing effort to bring forth many posts which say "Cool!" and link to a YouTube video, I bring you (via Minnesota Public Radio) the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra playing a beer jingle, on bottles. Only in Australia.

Getting to Know You

Monday we're having a staff meeting with everyone involved in the upcoming merger. A business school professor will be leading exercises so we can get to know our teammates. We've been asked to bring an object that symbolizes a past achievement of which we're proud:

The point is for the object to help tell your story. People will be asked to spend about two minutes talking about the meaning of their artifact.  Your story should include: (1) what was the situation? the challenge? the opportunity?  what background information will help us to understand the context? (2) what did you do? what action did you take? (3) what was the outcome? (4) what skills and attributes enabled you to be successful?

Setting aside the fact that this sounds like a show-and-tell job interview, this is precisely the kind of activity I go to great lengths to avoid. What the hell am I going to bring and talk about for two minutes? Maybe:

This key symbolizes how proud I am not to be in prison. As a white female from a white collar family in a small town in New Jersey, I was never an at-risk youth, but I still had the opportunity to make the right choices in my life. I chose not to commit any felonies. As a consequence, I am free to leave my bedroom at any time of the day or night, and I do not have to worry about communal showers. My common sense and perseverance helped me avoid prison. Not to mention, I'm a people person.

A cappella

One of the (un)fortunate effects of having broadband is that I can now view YouTube with impunity. Faithful readers of my on-again, off-again blog will now be forced to suffer through numerous embedded videos with "Gee, cool!" posts.

Back at school, several friends were in an a cappella group (Wellesley College Tupelos), and I really enjoyed listening to them. Some of the other groups I saw perform with them were pretty cool, too (notably, the Tufts Beelzebubs--I think they have their own cult). Having rediscovered this world online, I'll spend the next several days digging through sites like Acapella U, The Collegiate A Cappella Podcast. Anyway, here's Indiana University's own Straight No Chaser performing a Christmas medley (I'm not sure the Hanukkah joke is totally cool, but the rest is funny) (via Metafilter).

Trek on the picket lines

I'm not sure I support the Writers Guild of America position, but as a matter of interest I'd like to point to the fact that today was Trek Day on the WGA's picket lines (coverage at the LA Times).  The union has produced t-shirts that say, "Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." I wonder what Surak's position was on collective bargaining?

More power

Ladies and gentlemen, we have broadband.