Jan 29, 2014

Be Ready for the Bluetooth Steampunk Zombie Apocalypse

People need to stop saying "Zombie apocalypse". I think many uneducated people are using it when they really mean to say "apocalypse". I feel like these people say zombie apocalypse for anything that is like end of days, end times, end of the world, or anything referring to a dystopian future. They say it because they honestly dont know that there is any other kind of apocalypse. 




Zombies are fake. Zombies are scientifically impossible so stop referring to them as if they are a real threat to humanity and something to actually have to prepare for. 




Zombies in the traditional sense no, but like my friend Racheal says, there are many illnesses that if they mutated would mimic a new zombie out break. But I'm more scared of a nuclear end of days... which I guess could cause people to go crazy and mimic zombies as well. Now, I'm not saying it's going to actually happen. But to say there is no physical way some kind of mass hysteria epidemic to happen is just silly. Anything can happen.


I guess I'm mostly focusing on the dumb people who are obviously replacing "apocalypse" with "zombie apocalypse" because without Hollywood would have never otherwise heard the word apocalypse.

It's annoying like when people say "blue tooth" when they mean wireless headset because they dont know that Bluetooth is a wireless data transfter technology and many things can transmit over Bluetooth. Oh and steampunk. Here's the thing steampunk nerds. Steam needs a boiler to create steam power. Boilers are quite large and require plumbing and valves.  Just because you have goggles on and you painted your Macbook copper and glued rivets to it, doesn't mean it runs on steam power. Stop it. 

For more commentary, links or to join in the conversation check out my Facebook post that started this all. 
Facebook Zombie Apocalypse Discussion Thread

Jan 24, 2014

You know what tho? Fuck that shit Costco

Fastcompany.com just posted an article about how clever Costco is. It is pretty rad but you know what tho? Fuck that shit.

 fastcompany.com

One of the things this article talks about is how well laid out it is
"once you walk through Costco’s doors, the store is clearly set before you. It’s a carefully choreographed movement. The store--a three-acre, 148,000 square foot warehouse--at first glance appears overwhelming. The store layout however, offers a panoramic view of each of its shopping districts." read more


Umm.. did you SEE my post a while back about how screwed up the food court condiment situation is there?
My Problem With Costco

 Maybe this is by design so when you stumble over the onions to get your soda lid, it will make you subliminally want a 1.50 hotdog.  No thanks marketing geniuses. Not this time. 

It talks about "triggers". AKA, moving shit around and suddenly not carrying certain items on a whim to trigger your buying impulse. 


"Costco rotates upward of 25% of its hard-goods and its products inside the racetrack as triggers. The result is that, of the 3,600 items for sale, a full 1,000 may be offered only for that particular moment and may not be available upon a future shopping visit. In fashion retail, Zara has mastered this version of perishability, which creates a high turnover of unique and current offerings that, when sold out, are replaced by a new set of fashion looks or unique new offerings. 
The ensuing sense of urgency to impulse buy is stemmed by the fear that the item might be gone if you wait to reconsider."

But what they don't talk about is the blow-back of this tactic. If you get hooked on that $9.99 chicken garlic frozen pizza that you've just added to your family's bi-weekly family dinner plans you're shit out of luck because Costco decided that they are no longer going to sell it. They do this a lot with a ton of stuff and frankly it pisses people (me) off. And the irony is, for me at least, I'm not afraid to buy it before they run out, I'm afraid to buy anything just in case I want to actually buy it again next time.   I went there to buy a bunch of stuff that I know I've seen there and they just have it at certain times or just that one time, ever. It's very annoying.  Also, is moving the cat food to a new location in the store every god damned time I go there part of the wonderful choreographed dance this article is talking about? Apparently yes. This is by design so that when you go to look for your 100lb bag of Kirkland Cat Chow you make special monthly trips there for, you have to walk passed the 500 pack cases of Coke-a-Cola that you wouldn't have otherwise seen.  But the rub is, I didnt come here after a long dat at work for a "treasure hunt" or soda, or 3 packs of hand lotion for that matter. I came here for Cat Food. And maybe some free samples of meatballs and taquitos. Fuck off and stop fucking around with my emotions Costco

Don't get me wrong, Costco is the beekeeper's kneepads. They have tons of the stuff you need for the right price but there's just some stuff that is really annoying they do for what seems like no reason other than to fuck with it's members minds to try and trick (scare) them into buying shit they don't need.  

That reminds me, I need to go to Costco next week. DAMN YOU COSTCO!!!!!!!!!!



Jan 23, 2014

May Cause Anal Bleeding and Blurred Vision...

Dear Scientists working on new drugs,

If the medication you are developing still has 50 horrible side-effects, you aren't finished developing it.  Get off the phone with the patent office and the FDA and get your ass back into the lab.  You still have work to do. 

Sincerely,
Sick People

Jan 22, 2014

Wendy's Update, Update

I've previously written about my Wendy's Hamburgers restaurant situation a couple of times here. Now I should probably update my previous update by letting you all know that I found out a bit ago the construction on the property of the old Wendy's, was in fact to be a brand new Wendy's.

I drive by this location every day for my new job (yup) and have been watching it's progress.  It was scheduled to open on the day I was to return from a trip back to the Bay Area.  Roll into a rainy Eureka tonight after being away for a week. It's around 9pm and it's a ghost town. Even the usually packed Taco Bell drive thru was empty. Strange. Then I saw the crowded parking lot and drive thru line at the new Wendy's grand opening.  This apparently is where everyone was. Sorry Taco Bell.

I finally got a chance to check out the uber modern state-of-the-art flagship 2014 Wendy's.  The outside is very modern... kinda looks like this...

yea fuck me, I didnt take a pic of the outside. This is in Massachusetts.  

I actually did manage to get a pic of the inside.  Pretty schnazzy. 

Jan 16, 2014

New Music Sucks

Music sampling used to be bits of obscure songs or beats. And the artistry was using it creatively or finding ways to make it new. Now every song on the radio is using entire lyrical and/or melodic hooks from well known songs from as early as the 90's.

Kids today are like "oh I love this song" and I'm like "no you don't, you like the Elton John song from the 70's they stole everything that makes this new version memorable from" 

Whosampled tells them what records they should really be listening to rather than the rip off crap they think are musical geniuses.  If you like music this website knows who made it first and that you might be liking the wrong music. 

Jan 15, 2014

Droner Boner

Ok, so when the hell did remote control helicopters become "drones"?  Drones are sophisticated high tech military weapons technology.  Now any dipshit can go to Radio Shack, get a RC chopper, put his iPhone on it and now I suddenly its a drone.  Easy there slick. What you have is a toy with a camera on it. 

Stop calling remote control helicopters with GoPros mounted to them drones.  This goes for you to Amazon.  Here's your package, watch out for the razor sharp propellers. 

Ok rant over. 

Jan 10, 2014

No Google you're doing it wrong


"Receiving email from people outside your circles
If you receive an email from someone outside your circles, it will be filtered into the Social category of the inbox (if enabled) and only after you respond or add them to your circles, can they start another conversation with you."

Oh you mean like just about every single email I get? This seems very backwards to me.

You see, like many early google plus adopters, I don't know hardly any of the 4000 people in my circles well enough to be emailing with them. I use g+ to get entertaining and informative content from people I don't know. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. I hate that I have 4000 people in my phone contacts too because of Google plus. I love this social media platform but I don't want it  this connected to my address book. 

Many people are freaked out about getting a ton of spam now.  This may be true if you don't adjust your settings but this isn't the issue.  The problem with this isn't the privacy or spam, but the fact that Google is assuming everyone in your circles are your close friends and /or people you want to email or vice versa. They want you to be using Google plus as your personal address book. But like I said, I have 4000 people in my circles and I don't know any of them personally. It would be awkward to say the least if I were to get emails from them. I'm not sure Google understands how most people are using Google plus. 

Getting unsolicited emails and calls from Google plus circles would be absolutely fine if g+ wasn't the 'circle-whore/get as many people as you can get for the most new and interesting content filled stream' social media platform that it is. There needs to be a setting to chose exactly which circles you want to get email and stuff from. Like have a "contacts" circle and link that one to phone and email only. It's impossible to find a phone number in my phone because when I press d for dad it gives me 300 people I don't know with names that start with d. 

The fact that it's being seen as a problem that can be "fixed" by changing the settings is the proof that Google doesn't get how people are using Google plus. I have no reason to ever email or call anyone in my circles. Furthermore if I did, I can always just contact them via Google plus. I undestand what they are trying to do, it's just not compatible with the way we're using Google plus.