Beards: not just for old men in history books!

Apparently, beards are not very popular in the South. I guess this really shouldn't come as a surprise as it is hellishly hot here for more than a few months out of the year. But still, I somehow thought that the awesomeness of beards would prevail. I grew up with beards being commonplace; my dad has had a beard for nearly all my life (all of it except a brief stint with a mustache in the late '80's, but I'll let that slide given the decade...). My boyfriend has a beard as well, and it certainly isn't uncommon to see lots of other men of all ages sporting a beard as well in the Midwest.

So as a Midwestern ambassador to North Carolina, I'm going to create some beard awareness: beards are awesome!


Beard Awesomeness 101:

Essential Viewing: The Trustworthiness of Beards

Essential Listening:

And the Daily Double: Philosophy for visual learners...

What are Action Philosopher comics, Alex!

These humorous and entertaining comics follow the lives and philosophies of all the big names in philosophy: Plato, Mill, Descartes, Rand, Jefferson, Freud, Nietzsche and the list goes on and on and on.

I was lucky enough to stumble across the first three books in the series at Schuler Books the last time I was in Michigan. My boyfriend was kind and clever enough to stealthily purchase them for me while I was in the ladies' room. It was a great surprise to get them later!

If you're like me, you have an ambitious list of books to read. I was looking at my bookshelf the other day and realized that all the books I've bought or received lately are non-fiction and in the challenging, I'm-going-to-need-write-notes-in-the-margin category. At the moment, I'm working my way through John Rawls' A Theory of Justice. It's massive, awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, and makes terrible bedtime reading. I promptly went out and got Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, because I always love a good post-apocalyptic tale. (Although, perhaps that's not the best bedtime reading either unless I also love post-apocalyptic dreams...) But sometimes I just want something easy. Something with pictures. And that, my friends, is the perfect time to bust out Action Philosophers! No reader's guilt there since I'm actually brushing up on my philosophy, all the while enjoying witty comics.

Who can say no to that?!

Thank you, Joe Wong. You made my day!

An essential sign for every workplace kitchen:

Yesterday's post got me thinking about how useful signs really are and motivated me to create this sassy, borderline-too-sarcastic-for-work sign for the kitchen area at my office. I've had to touch gooey bits of old food on dishes just one too many times this week.

If you've been a victim of similar such office crimes, I urge you to post your own message that your co-workers' mothers are, in fact, not on site to clean up their foody messes.

"Attention -- Drunks"

The next time you are taking a drive through the quaint town of Pecica, Romania, you might come across this sign:

The purpose of this fine sign, which reads "Attention -- Drunks," is to warn drivers that they may be in danger of driving into or over a highly inebriated townsperson who may or may not be clutching a bottle of booze. Such are the results of the town's "vibrant nightlife."

According to a recent article on Telegraph.co.uk, the town's officials "took action after a “despairing” number of accidents in the town, which has a population of about 13,000, caused by drunken revellers, with some even resulting in fatalities." 

Way to take charge of the situation and get to the root of the issue, Pecica!

I can't stop quoting this...

Yeah, I know. It's kind of weird, right? But watch, you won't be able to stop quoting it either. Especially "I had a case of the rumblies that only hands could cure." That sure is catchy...

And now in German: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKiBRWAiZn8

Llamas with hats... Love it.

Oh, Canada...

If, after watching the Olympics in Vancouver, you've caught Canada Fever, then do I have a movie for you! Grab your tuque and a plate of poutine, because what could be better than a Canadian action/comedy about a pair of mismatched cops working together to solve a hockey-themed murder mystery? It's called Bon Cop, Bad Cop and it's awesomely Canadian.

Now, I'll admit that I was skeptical at first, but I have to say that Bon Cop, Bad Cop is now definitely on my list of top ten favorite Canadian movies. It was just so hard to resist its Canadian charm... It follows two cops, one a Quebecois with a tough-guy attitude and a penchant for breaking the rules, and the other a straight-laced, turtleneck wearing Ontario cop. They must put their differences aside in order to solve the mystery at hand: who is the elusive "Tattoo Killer" who has been killing people related in some way to major league hockey? It's a classic story with a tasty twist of Canadian fun.

So after the Olympics, when you start to feel that ache in your heart that tells you that you just haven't had your daily dose of Canadian awesomeness, do your self a favor and watch Bon Cop, Bad Cop. You'll be glad you did.

Evolution Smackdown: Richard Dawkins v. Bill O'Reilly

Richard Dawkins' new book The Greatest Show on Earth is out, and that can only mean one thing. He will be interviewed by people who vehemently disagree with him. About everything. I have not read it yet, but the book lays out evidence for evolution, presumably in a logical and scientific manner. And who had hates science and reason? Bill O'Reilly, of course! This gem of an interview between O'Reilly and Dawkins will make you laugh, cry and feel just gosh-darned perplexed. The expressions on Dawkins' face as O'Reilly is speaking are priceless. I am impressed by his ability to retain his composure... I'm not sure if I could have.



I really enjoyed that Dawkins told O'Reilly to stop shouting at him. I would also like to point out that underneath Dawkins name it does not say "Author, The Greatest Show on Earth" it says "Atheist," which to me, seems rather peculiar. After all, if someone is on television and they wrote a book about the life of Jesus or some other religious-themed book, it most likely would not say "Christian" beneath their name. Of course, it's no surprise that O'Reilly wants to make sure that everyone knows that Dawkins is an Atheist, despite the fact the book he is discussing is about evolution not Atheism.

As always, Dawkins was intelligent and eloquent. I'm really looking forward to reading his new book.