Logic & Sanity

NYPD

[Click on the photo for a bigger version]

I've been wondering for a while if I'll ever get stopped to have my bag searched in the subway, and today it has finally happened when I was about to get on the PATH where the World Trade Center used to be. The female cop was pretty polite, but more importantly - pretty. For a split second I entertained the idea of asking her if she stopped me because she thought I was suspicious, or just cute. I decided against it as her rookie partner looked like the jealous type. Anyway, the whole process took no more then 25-30 seconds. I put down my umbrella, opened up my bag. I had a sealed box of cigars that I forgot to take out the night before, she looked at me inquisitively - "Cigars", I explained. She took the box, held it up, shook it a little - it didn't explode. I was on my way.

No big deal really - didn't feel violated nor did I get an urge to call my lawyer. Heck, maybe I'll start concealing a bouqette of flowers in my bag in case she decides to search me again.

Freight 200

Freight 200 is one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen. Maybe the most disturbing...

The claim that it's based on real events makes it even worse.

Citysearch

Now and then I like to browse CitySearch and read reviews for the places I've visited. A negative review can be very entertaining, but even a positive one can be pretty amusing. Here's a fine example:

This is a typical Russian lounge, me being Russian it worked out beautifully. Me and my friends got lucky on a Friday night we DIDN'T get carded =)~...

Nice! Nothing like drawing heat to a place you like.

"Organic"

We have all seen those "organic" labels on produce which, to most of us, meant that only the price will be much higher. I saw it as a marketing ploy myself, but it looks like I've been wrong [via Consumerist]:

A ten-year study comparing organic tomatoes with standard produce found almost double the level of flavonoids - a type of antioxidant.

Flavonoids have been shown to reduce high blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Writing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the team said nitrogen in the soil may be the key.

Dr Alyson Mitchell, a food chemist at the University of California, and colleagues measured the amount of two flavonoids - quercetin and kaempferol - in dried tomato samples that had been collected as part of a long-term study on agricultural methods.

These findings also confirm recent European research, which showed that organic tomatoes, peaches and processed apples all have higher nutritional quality than non-organic
Peter Melchett, Soil Association

They found that on average they were 79% and 97% higher respectively in the organic tomatoes than in the conventionally grown fruit.

Looks like my produce budget is about to expand.

Truth about human nature

There's an interesting article in Psychology Today titled Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature. Quite an interesting read. For example - why do men like women with big breasts? One of the theories is that they are a good indicator of age. There's a bunch of interesting info in there, so read the whole thing.

Bald .com sold

The head-scratching bald.com cost $400,000. Seniors.com sold for $1.8 million. And the biggest moneymaking moniker, creditcheck.com, reeled in $3 million. Meanwhile, naked.com, racism.com, gin.com and coed.com failed to reach their minimum prices.

Hair today, gone tomorrow! But seriously, should've had the foresight to get in on that domain buying action in the late 1990's.

Wannabe Jews

These guys hang out by the World Trade Center and I usually see them there about once a month. Today I got off work on time, so it was still fairly light out, so as I got off the PATH and was walking up the stairs I hear the guy preaching. LOUD! The microphone was probably unnecessary, but everything about these guys is over the top, so it was fitting, anyway.

So I pulled out the camera and snapped away as he railed on about the "so called white man".

Looking straight at ya!

More photos after the jump

Sopranos

Am I the only one who feels that they are rushing this thing? After spending entire episodes on ridiculous (and boring) dream sequences, David Chase is now cramming several seasons worth in the last two hours. Out of nowhere Silvio and Bobby get it, and now there's only 1 hour left to tie everything up? WTF?

The ending most likely will carry the message that crime doesn't pay. Either Meadow or A.J is going to be killed by the bullet meant for their father. Most likely Meadow. And right before the credits roll we'll see Tony weeping at what he has "done". I can totally see it. Meadow runs out to Tony's car to get something out of the trunk and BAM! The thing explodes.

That would be banal ofcourse. One would wish that the series would end with Tony disposing of his enemies and consolidating his power...

UPDATE

Sweet! Phil got capped and Tony's back on top! NICE! Meadow didn't buy the farm, but a car did go BAM! Sure, one can speculate that the man who went to the restroom was a hitman out to get Tony, but as far as I am concerned everything is OK. Even the possible indictment is not a worry, as his lawyer said - cases are there to be won.

Overall a good finale, but if it was 5 minutes longer I bet we would have seen A.J. make a presidential endorsement.

"...one of the goodiest book..."

As I've mentioned on my blog  - I love the subways. Every time I ride it - it's an experience. There's always something to see, something to hear, someone to smell. From mere gadget jealousy, to people reading ghetto literature, to an obese female eating McDonalds' fries out of a paper bag while unwittingly dropping a few into her substantial cleavage. Sorry, no link for the last one, but trust me , that was observed on the R line last week. She definately discovered a tasty snack that was still warm, when she got home. 

As for today, it's another case of ghetto literature. Saw an older black lady read Around the Way Girls 3 on the Hoboken bound PATH. So, is this book worth reading, you ask...

Acording to an amazon reviewer:

The author can not keep it no real than what it is. Thats one of the goodiest book I have read this year.

Yes, that good!

Term of the day

Emotional tampon.