50 Things We Didn't Know A Year Ago

   Finally a 2009 retrospective that's actually worth reading! 50 things we didn't know a year ago

The most daft: 34. Nearly all animals emit the same stench when they die, and have done so for more than 400 million years.
   (thanks for that insight, though that's actually contrary to what I thought I'd heard before -- that all animals can distinguish the distinctive stench of their own species dead)


The most practically useful to every day life: 50. Watermelon is more efficient at rehydrating our bodies than drinking water. It contains 92 percent water and essential rehydration salts.
   (so put down that cup of water and bury your face in a delicious slice of watermelon!)


Entirely Unrelated Picture of the Day

People jumping off the old walls in Akka, Israel

   In other news on Monday the Hawaiian Chieftain sets sail headed back up North and I begin a "several weeks" temp assignment at a local law firm. /:
   But not befor aloft work on the Pilgrim (derigging christmas lights) this Saturday and a sail on the Spirit on Sunday! I'll have worked on three tallships in one week! A suitable grand finale before the drudgery of the law mines..

We're Supposed to Choose the Hipster?

   A professional looking man in a suit, perhaps a bit frumpy looking, comes on the screen. "Hi, I'm a PC"

   A sloppily dressed shmuck comes on next. "Hi, I'm a Mac"


   Typically, in the interaction that follows, it might be admitted that "I'm a PC" is better with "numbers and spreadsheets," but the insufferable hipster will assert he's infinitely better with videos and music than Mr PC, possibly while rolling his eyes.


   I know a lot of money goes into focus groups and research before major corporations launch ad campaigns, but I really can't fathom how they came up with this one. It's supposed to be a commercial in favour of Macs, but it does nothing but fill me with a burning loathing for what the Mac is representing itself to be.

   The guy representing the PC looks like the kind of fellow who, if I needed to depend on him, would shake my hand and look me in the eye on Monday morning and say "I had to work overtime all weekend, but I got it done."
   The guy representing the Mac looks like a fellow I'd finally track down three days later and find out not only had he completely blown off the project, he'd slept with my girlfriend in the mean time.*

   The PC guy in this case looks well meaning, professional, and looks like he has his shit together. The Mac guy looks like he probably can't be bothered to shower, probably couldn't hold down a professional job, and would have unresolvable attitude problems.

   Now, I'm sure apple computers are great, if you're into that kind of thing, and I do my best not to judge them based on their commercial -- but isn't the commercial supposed to inspire consumers to LIKE their product? And not associate their product with insufferable shlemiels??

   And not just this commercial, but, well, everything else about Macs is kind of the same sort of counterintuitive making-their-product-seem-worse, in my opinion. PCs** come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, Macs seem to come in one appearance: cheap looking plastic. That opaque glossy rounded white shape they give everything, what's with that? It looks to me like they're trying to make the entire thing look like cheap plastic.

   Again, I'm not debating here the actual functionality of the computers. This is about their advertising. It's all seemed entirely backwards to me. Is the success of Apple computers actually because of this advertising ... or is their success in SPITE of it a further testament to the quality of their machines??

* Not that I have a girlfriend, well, it's complicated
** notwithstanding that Macs ARE, technically, "personal computers"

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Addendum: Further speculation on their love lives, and their kitchens. See also: Mac vs PC vs LINUX GIRL