FYI « 26 Characters

Below you will find my weblog, or just blog. The name may not strike you right away, but you'll get it after I ask you one question: How many letters are there in the alphabet?

I use these twenty−six letters to share moments I experience, thoughts I come upon or ideas I have that I don't feel like keeping to myself. Writing them gives me the ability to share with you.

Maybe you'll laugh, maybe you'll swallow hard, maybe you will learn something about me that you didn't previous know, or maybe you'll relate the words below to something in your own experiences. You may even know the subjects I allude to between the paragraph tags.

So much that I will often write without proofing. If I offend you, it is nothing personal, simply my opinion. I'll complain about things that bother me, things I find offensive and just random thoughts I hold onto long enought to transfer to my blog.

Archive for the ‘FYI’ Category

Grossly Strong

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Earth’s strongest creature meets its mate in a pile of shit. Talk about a turnoff.

It is estimated that the appropriately named dung beetle, or Onthophagus taurus, can pull 1,141 times its own weight. Mind boggling.

Why would anything need to pull that many times its own weight?

Female dung beetles will burrow into a pile of excrement and wait for a horny male looking to mate, (see photo). The male will then crawl down her poop canal in order to proposition her.

What if another male is encountered on the way down the shit shaft?

The outermost dung beetle will try and pull his competition from the brown tunnel of love. Gross. Hence the term “start some shit.”₁

Smell ya later.

^{1 Not actually how that term was derived.}

Tags: animal, creature, dung beetle, insect, world's strongest
Posted in FYI, Humor | 869No Comments »Grossly+Strong2010-09-02+20%3A24%3A08Ross+Clurman

Ross Is Near A Computer

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

In addition to your [Facebook] friends and family knowing what’s on your mind, who you’re friends with, (and a handful of other info), you can now keep them apprised of where you are, using a service other than Gowalla and/or foursquare.

If you don’t already use foursquare or Gowalla, then you are like me (and anyone else who has plenty of good reasons for not doing so).

For those that do use a ‘this-is-my-location-come-stalk-me’, or an ‘I’m-currently-away-from-my-house-please-rob-me’ service, and actually want people to know the “where”, check out the new feature from Facebook – Facebook Places.

Tags: Facebook Places, foursquare, Gowalla, location services
Posted in FYI | 855No Comments »Ross+Is+Near+A+Computer2010-08-19+14%3A27%3A01Ross+Clurman

In-Flight Purrrchase

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

I once heard that the majority of sales revenue from in-flight magazine purchases is generated from pet-related products.

Most people are without their pets while on vacation, so they miss them and think, “Oh, that padded stepladder for Mittens will help her get hair all over our clean sheets!”

Or, “Baxter will love that modern dog dish set, just enough to never notice the difference between it and an upside-down frisbee.”

So, what did my first in-flight purchase between Austin and O’Hare yield? A wine breathing carafe that aerates a bottle of wine in minutes!

That’s right. I miss my full-bodied red wine collection. Enough to order the carafe and wait three months for it to be delivered.

I’ve shared the phenomenal difference between how a wine tastes, before and after aerating, and they (only one person) agree that it was a solid purchase.

Not only because it is made out of hand-blown glass, but because it really does treat the tongue to a full-flavored vino.

I recommend the Wine Breather Carafe by Menu to anyone looking to open up a bottle of red wine and then really open it up.

Tags: aerating wine, in-flight purchase, Menu Wine Breather Carafe
Posted in FYI | 838No Comments »In-Flight+Purrrchase2010-08-18+23%3A22%3A01Ross+Clurman

Divorce Insurance

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

In Bigger and Blacker, Chris Rock notes that the only thing worse than getting taxed is paying for insurance. He continues, saying:

“They shouldn’t even call it insurance. They just should call it ‘in case shit.’

l give a company some money…in case shit happens.

Now, if shit don’t happen, shouldn’t l get my money back?”

In the case of marriage, 50% of the time it fails, every time.

While I’m fairly certain¹ no pre-nup is airtight, you can invest in something called Divorce Insurance to protect your assets in the event that shit happens.

What is Divorce Insurance?
Basically, it covers the cost of your divorce. From what I understand, this would include money related to attorney fees, court costs, etc. – it does not protect your “half”.

Should you get Divorce Insurance?
Only if you plan to get married; otherwise, no.

Even if you’re already married, you can calculate the probability of divorce.

However, I strongly recommend you clear your browsing history…and never miss another anniversary/birthday/milestone, quit staring at the opposite sex, stop flirting with the server, etc., etc., etc.

Learn more about Divorce Insurance.

¹ ‘fairly certain’ is not a factual claim, nor should it be interpreted as such

Tags: Bigger and Blacker, Chris Rock, Divorce Insurance, Divorce Probability Calculator
Posted in FYI, Humor | 825No Comments »Divorce+Insurance2010-08-17+22%3A47%3A40Ross+Clurman

Wife In The Fast Lane

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Now more than ever, personal connections are happening online. Ever wish there was a way to meet that someone you may [or may not] have noticed in the lane next to you?

Now you can. For those that haven’t mastered flirting in traffic, a new online service combines your license plate with some basic information most people use to determine whether you are datable.

I’m sure most have already made that decision based on the ride your plates were attached to.

Quick Car Flirting is similar to missed connections (on craigslist.org), but specifically for those that drove away.

Tags: funny license plate, quick car flirting
Posted in FYI | 820No Comments »Wife+In+The+Fast+Lane2010-08-03+19%3A14%3A51Ross+Clurman

The Old[est] Couple

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

No, that’s not a typo. These two really are the oldest married couple in Britain. The happily married and (apparently) capable couple is alive and, well, living proof that once in a [great] while, marriages work out.

This one in particular, for the past 77 years.

The husband, Ralph Tarrant (107), was pleasantly surprised to receive a birthday card from the Queen – talk about mad Facebook points if She writes on your wall.

He and his wife, Phyllis (101), have their own flat in Broomhill, Sheffield.

More? Go here.

Tags: Brittain, marriage, Phyllis Tarrant, Queen, Ralph Tarrant
Posted in FYI | 732No Comments »The+Old%5Best%5D+Couple2010-07-28+20%3A45%3A28Ross+Clurman

How-To: Predict Showers

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Wake up and look in the mirror. If you notice pillow hair, pillow wrinkles, or pillow feathers, then I see a shower in your near future.

Similar to your early morning appearance, you can forecast the weather by observing characteristics and actions of the things around you. The sky, plants, animals and even the behavior of campfire smoke.

Here are a few of the things I found interesting…

Plants release waste in low pressure, so if the air smells like compost you are either standing in it, or rain is on the way. (If it is the former, hope for the latter.)
Decreasing air pressure, (usually an indication of an upcoming storm), upsets birds’ ears, so to alleviate discomfort, they fly low.
Campfire smoke that swirls and descends is an indication of low pressure – rain is on the way.
A red sky at sunset (looking west) indicates there is a high pressure system (i.e. dry air) and because prevailing fronts usually move west to east, the dry air is heading toward you.
A red sky at sunrise (looking east) indicates the high pressure system has passed and a low pressure system is following behind it.

The last two are the explanation for a saying my dad once told me: “Red sky at night sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”

Check out some of the other ways you can predict weather.

Tags: predicting the forecast, weather
Posted in FYI | 674No Comments »How-To%3A+Predict+Showers2010-06-23+14%3A52%3A18Ross+Clurman

Selected, Naturally

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Kid Rock’s two-year endorsement deal with Jim Beam will include incentives for fans [and alcoholics]: sponsored Kid Rock tour dates and free downloads with the purchase of a bottle of Jim Beam.

“I’m getting paid to drink whiskey. What part of that is selling out?”

Kid Rock went on to comment that he is often approached for potential sponsorships, but only endorses “things that I really believe in, and that are really close to my heart.”

Read more about the deal and his album due out in September, Born Free.

Tags: alcohol, jim beam, kid rock, music, sponsorship
Posted in FYI | 661No Comments »Selected%2C+Naturally2010-06-16+15%3A50%3A54Ross+Clurman

Finally…Free Wi-Fi At Starbucks

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

I hope you weren’t expecting much of a narrative here. The next sentence really encapsulates the entire point…

“Starbucks will offer free, unlimited Wi-Fi starting July 1.”

Dear Starbucks,

Thanks a latte!

- Ross

If you’re bored, here’s the full story.

Tags: AT&T, free wi-fi, starbucks
Posted in FYI | 657No Comments »Finally...Free+Wi-Fi+At+Starbucks2010-06-15+15%3A32%3A17Ross+Clurman

Looked Like 85 To Me

Monday, June 7th, 2010

..said the officer as he wrote a speeding ticket and handed it to the motorist.

New legislation in O-H….I-O!, established that all it takes to get convicted for speeding is the best guess of the police officer who saw you.

Woah! Woah!

And, if that isn’t shocking enough, it passed by a 5-to-1 vote.

Cut and dry, but if you want to read/view more, it’s all on CNN.com (video & story).

Tags: moving violation, Ohio, speeding laws
Posted in FYI | 648No Comments »Looked+Like+85+To+Me2010-06-07+14%3A11%3A47Ross+Clurman

26 Characters