Thursday, August 25, 2016

It's 95 degrees out here, why are you wearing a sweater?

Way back in the day, I had a pal in high school who was excessively hairy. I mean, to the point that it looked like he wore an angora sweater to the indoor pool, and it puffed up over a fully buttoned dress shirt and tie. Hirsuitism is a sign of excess androgen, so he may well have had some sort of hormonal imbalance indicative of another, more serious medical issue. Or he may have been a testosterone heavy super-lover. Either way, we politely ignored it.

As a woman, hair removal is a constant inconvenience. Legs, pits, bikini area, face - I would never brush my teeth again if it meant that I wouldn't have to deal with the stigma associated with my (relatively minimal) volume of body hair. Waxing, bleaching, laser treatments, and plain old shaving are either expensive, marginally effective, or time consuming. I have a period every month - could the universe cut me a break on something?!?

There are thousands of gadgets out there for us ladies to deal with our body fur, but men's gadgets only concentrate on the face. (And thank goodness, because that whole "lumberjack chic" thing is SO 2014.) Finally, someone has come up with a simple tool for my brothers with follicle challenges south of their neck line!

The baKblade isn't the final solution for hairy dudes, but it certainly makes keeping your man mane under control easier and less costly. Plus, you can save the embarrassment of having to ask your Girlfriend to help. (Protip: we like to help you out, but not with this...)




Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Learn some stuff, ya turkey!

So, the Internet has recently crapped its collective self over a video of a guy filling a pool with Orbeez, and explaining the science behind why you don't sink to the bottom. (I guess spending the 1980s terrified of quicksand was all for naught.)

Speaking as a woman who has had the experience of diving into a pool of fake jello (floral gel crystals), I can tell you first hand how completely insane this feels. I had floral gel in crevices I didn't know I had for like three days. Hindsight being what it is, Orbeez may have been a better option. Lesson learned.

The incredible popularity of this video tells me 3 things:
1. This guy absolutely hates his wife.
2. I have picked the wrong career: getting paid to do bizarre things on the Internet is really more my speed than anything else.
3. People like to learn stuff, as long as it is presented in a compelling and interesting way.

In the spirit of learning, interesting, and compelling - please allow me to introduce The Backyard Scientist.  A molten metal junkie if I've ever seen one. And I haven't. Enjoy!


Monday, August 22, 2016

How to improve your food, in 3 easy steps

Having lived in the South for almost the last 10 years, I have learned some very important truths about food consumption. Most important being: Yankees are doing it wrong. Y'all.

Rule #1:
If it is edible, it is better deep-fried.

Rule #2:
The addition of bacon to whatever you're consuming makes it at least 25x better.

Rule #3: 
Food on a stick is > food not on a stick.

In that spirit, please let me introduce: The Rollie. Because scrambled eggs are just too complicated.
("Perfect for the office"......??)

Friday, August 12, 2016

Friends don't let friends drink and Amazon

Occasionally, I wake up a bit early (only occasionally), and enjoy a cig on my front porch while watching the sun come up. The neighborhood stirs, I sip a little coffee, and check my email. Ordinarily, a pretty peaceful AM ritual.

However, there are some mornings I wake up to a flurry of order confirmation emails from Amazon. This, friends, is how I discover that I drank too much the night before. A few days later, I find the following sitting on my front porch when I arrive home from work: a neon purple handbag, a red & white striped maxi dress, a 4 slot USB hub, a new pocket knife, and a pair of skeleton salt & pepper shakers dressed as formal bunnies.

Easy on the whiskey there, speedy...


Thursday, August 11, 2016

Ouchies!

We had our annual "health screening" at work today. Basically, I HAVE to take it to reduce my health insurance payments on each check. At other companies I've worked for this practice has existed, but hasn't had a really big financial impact. At this company, the payment decreases by 50%! So, at 8:06am, I allowed a pair of strangers to take my blood and report just how fat/unhealthy I am to my employer.

First, the results were kind of surprising: blood pressure was cool, cholesterol was cool, sugar levels were cool. I'm not sure what a "triglyceride" is, but apparently I have a lot of them - not cool. Then the BMI....we're not gonna talk about that. Ever.

Here's what this brings up: how does someone like me, with a distaste for sweat, exercise, and anything I'm not particularly good at, get her spherical ass back into a decent shape? In my search for stress free exercise programs, I tripped across this site.

How cool is this - exercise for NERDS!! No juice-heads on the next treadmill over, no pre-teens wandering around in panties and sports bras - self-directed, and digitally accountable progress measures. Because if I can't look good in person, I better look good on the Internet. When I graduate, can I get a sword?


Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Entrepreneur, or Entrepre-neurd?


Some days, the universe destroys your faith in the rest of humanity to be intelligent and decent to one another. Other days, it's flooded with escapist cuteness. And on rare days, it reminds you that there ARE smart, ambitious folks out in the world that want to challenge your intellect and bring you joy.

Meet Brady Whitney. A tragic name for a dude, in my opinion. But he fully overcomes any giggles shot his way with his Kickstarter campaign to create the "Codex Silenda."

In an age where Pokemon Go is the only thing getting kids (and many grown ups) off the couch, games/puzzles that require some thought are extremely marketable. Basically, if I can utilize this item without moving, turning off my computer or TV, while talking on the phone, and texting - gimmee!

Attracting readers and puzzle fans alike, his hand-crafted "book" provides a complex puzzle, engaging story, and piece of art - without the astronomical price tag of similar craft items.  Check out his video below for more detail on exactly how this thing works.

With a desired funding goal of $30,000, Brady and his Codex have earned $170,557, with another 20 days to go! There's your proof. Good guys win (and win BIG) once in a while.

Friday, August 5, 2016

4.083333-Year Vacation

So, if you are reviewing this blog, you may notice that there is a 4 year and one month gap in posts.
Frickin' get over it.

I've been busy with my "real" career, and being responsible for unholy amounts of some corporation's money doesn't leave a whole lot of spare time for commenting on the Internet. Fortunately, I've made some work/life adjustments that will allow me to share more of the bizarre, amusing, and twisted thoughts that cross my mind when wandering the world wide web of weirdos.

In my real life, I have been recruiting! Which completely sucks. Not only are there about a zillion HR regulations on what you can and cannot say, people look SO much better on paper than they do in person. Why do I need to spend an hour of my valuable time chatting with you about your career aspirations, only for you to confess as you're leaving that you really just want to get the heck away from your current boss?

There are 1,000s of resources for job seekers needing instruction on how to ace an interview. Try reading one. Or two. It'll impress the mess out of your potential future employer, I promise. Also, dress like you give a crap. Save the casual togs for when you actually get the gig.

Then to the resume: if you can't spell, you can't work for me. If your job history is a laundry list of positions held for less than a full year, you're out. But, if you can craft a resume like this guy, you're hired! Comprehensive, covers applicable skills/experience, and...well...see for yourself!