Monthly Archives: July 2012

Olympic Medal Distribution

In the Olympics, gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded to the best three people (or teams) in their event.  However, the boundary of what is considered its own separate event has become blurred, allowing more medals to be earned in certain areas.

For example, a swimmer has the potential to win a much higher number of medals, due to the many different events.  They could participate in different swimming styles, races of varying lengths, and relay events.  On the other side of the spectrum, an Olympic badminton player only has one shot at a medal.  Runners, swimmers, and gymnasts have a multitude of events they can compete in and are much more celebrated in their successes.

As a result, the best badminton player in the world returns home with a single gold medal, while Michael Phelps returns with more bling than Mr. T.

Diversity in Airports

Airports have a great diversity of people, and not just because there are people from all over the world.

Some people stand in place on an elevator while others run up the stairs to pass them.  Some sit asleep in their gate for hours while others rush past them, hoping to catch their flight before it leaves.  There are people grudgingly working in McDonald’s, while someone eating a hamburger is on an important business phone call.  Some people in Hawaiian T-shirts arrive home from their vacation while others in camouflage return home from the war.

This is the part where I would explain what it means, but this time I don’t really know.

Pajamas

Why do pajamas exist?  We could sleep in the same clothes that we wear that day, but they might feel dirty or uncomfortable.

So why do we have any clothes besides pajamas?  If we trade out jeans or dress pants for pajama pants would it be considerably more comfortable?

What if I start a clothing company making dress shirts, suits, and ties made out of the material in pajama pants?

But then everyone would fall asleep in the board meetings.

Bowling

(There are many bad bowling puns to be made, but I will spare you the pain.  Also, I can’t exactly pin down why bowling is so fun, but maybe it is a result of the feeling of accomplishment that strikes you when you do well.)

The secret strategy to doing well in bowling is to pick the lightest ball possible that doesn’t pinch your fingers.  The lightweight (8-10 pound) bowling balls are better because they can be thrown significantly faster.  In addition, they tire you out slower, allowing you to do better in later games.  Most guys feel the need to choose a heavy ball to prove their strength, which can result in an unexpectedly high number of gutter balls.

At one bowling alley in my area, the only large size lightweight bowling ball is pink.  If you are a guy who feels self-conscience about using a pink ball then you have some self-esteem issues.  Recently I recommended to one of my friends (who wasn’t doing very well) to use my lightweight ball.  At first he resisted, obviously feeling intimidated by the amazing pin-knocking ability in the nine pound pink ball, similarly to how a medieval knight would not accept the legendary sword as a gift from his dying king.  After another two rounds of scores under six points each, he decided to use the pink ball instead.  Because he is as good at bowling as a hippopotamus is at tightrope-walking, he still did terribly.  I, on the other hand, got a score of 141.

The Sock Case

There are many different types of cases for iPhones, or any smartphone for that matter.  They range from hard shell cases to softer leather cases to screen protectors.  I have found that the best case is simply a sock.

Although not a case, a sock serves the same purposes, protecting the device from damage.  However, the sock case has a few distinct advantages.  For one, it is very cheap.  There is a high chance that you have lost one sock and therefore have an odd number of them.  The sock case not only saves you money but also removes the inconvenience of having a sock without its pair.  Second, the sock case while in your pocket actually cleans the screen of your device.  The sock will remove fingerprints and such, making your device appear new every time you use it.

The sock case is not a perfect solution, however.  Some disadvantages include the difficulty to remove your device from the case, the lack of protection when actually using the device, and the look you get when you pull your phone out of a dirty sock.

Glass Messages

Recently I was at a hotel eating breakfast when I noticed a inscription on the bottom of the glass.  While I was drinking the contents, I could clearly read the inscription of the company name that manufactured the glass.

What a waste!  This space could be used to write cute little messages like “Good Morning!” or “Enjoy your stay!”  This is the perfect feature to add to any restaurant because it is unique, positive, and memorable.

The Art of Hand-Drying in Public Bathrooms

If there is paper towel available, it is actually possible to dry your hands with one sheet.  All you have to do is avoid crumpling it up so you can maximize the surface area.

If there are hand dryers, try to dry your hands with one running of the blow dryer.  To do this, constantly rotate your hands and try to spread around the water as much as possible.

If there is nothing available, take a look around you and realize you are in a public restroom and your expectations were far too high.

Terminology

Names are extremely important.  Changing the name of a product, place, or anything else alters people’s perception of it.

For example, you might notice a coffee shop renamed as a “roastery” or a grocery store renamed as a “food market,” or a cafeteria renamed as an “eatery.”

This doesn’t only apply to foods.  If “Global Warming” becomes unpopular, maybe “Climate Change” will be better?  Or if a “stimulus” isn’t the thing people want, maybe they’ed prefer an “economic recovery package.”

I especially enjoy the official titles some people have.  Is a “waste extraction specialist” the same as a garbageman or is a “food services manager” any different from a cafeteria worker?

I hope you keep this in mind in the future and continue reading my web-based personal expression device.

I’ve heard this somewhere before…

Recently while listening to the radio (I don’t recall where) a song came on and although I had never heard it previously I had vague memories of knowing where it was from.  Similarly to when you awkwardly meet someone you haven’t talked to for a while and you blank on their name in the middle of the conversation, I couldn’t identify where the song was from.
It turns out that I hadn’t listened to the song before but I was able to identify it later as One Thing by One Direction.  After listening to it again to try and figure out why I thought I knew the song from a long time ago, I finally realized that one part sounds almost exactly like the song I Want It That Way by The Backstreet Boys.  The parts are the same, except they are in different keys and one has a slight pause in the middle.
I have linked both songs below, and they should take you right to the part of interest:

I Want It That Way

And thus concludes the last time I talk about boy band music.