RIP loy bones, we'll miss you

great neighbor
great storyteller
great musician

Sometimes, instead of doing homework, I make charts like this.

The top figure contains raw counts for the number of song titles from my iTunes library that contain the anatomical words listed on the abscissa. The bottom figure is the the same figure, but this time normalized using the sum over all song titles with some piece of anatomy in their title. You can think of this as the conditional probability of a specific body part, given that we already know the title contains some sort of anatomy. So, for example, Probability( head | category of word is anatomy ) ~ 0.19. I didn't bother calculating the joint probability, because I'm lazy. In that case, we would just multiply: Probability of ( anatomy_label & category of word is anatomy ) = P(anatomy_label | category of word is anatomy )*P(category of word is anatomy ).

Fuck. I should really be doing homework.
This is getting me nowhere.

Also, let me know if you can think of any labels I missed.

self explanatory

i got nothing.

lawnmowert main III

If stars say things it matters more

Buried in the midst of this is a really good idea for a bad Disney movie.

photos from my birthday party

We were shitcanned

fun show

I guess that the tribe is "counter-culture"

This is a headline from Yahoo. I find it hard to believe that it's really only 1 or 2 percent that don't have TVs. I'm sure that number will rise with the HD conversion next year.

For many Americans the thought of life without TV is akin to forgoing food, shelter or, God forbid, the Internet. But about 1 to 2 percent of Americans do abstain from the boob tube, and they might seem like strange bedfellows.

A recent study of those who live without found that about two-thirds fall into either the "crunchy granola set" or the "religious right, ultraconservative" camp, said researcher Marina Krcmar, a professor of communication at North Carolina's Wake Forest University. Krcmar interviewed 120 people from 62 different households who do not watch television, as well as 92 people from 35 households with TV, and described her findings in a new book, "Living Without the Screen" (Routledge, 2008).

Aversion to television, it turns out, is a common ground for the very liberal and the very conservative.

"I interviewed one guy who was 31, single, an artist living in Boston, who saw himself as countercultural," Krcmar told LiveScience. "The next day I had an interview with a religious woman with ten children who lived in the Midwest. These people seem like they would disagree about almost everything, but if you ask them about television the things that came out of their mouths were almost identical."

Why do people give it up?

Krcmar herself lives on the dark side, having given up television about 13 years ago.

"It's just something I don't want in the home - it's a perpetual annoyance, like a gnat," she said.

The motivations for most people who abandon TV fall into three categories, Krcmar found.

Some give it up to avoid exposing their families to the excessive sex, violence, and consumerism they feel are promoted onscreen. Others object to the medium itself, claiming television intrudes too much into their lives, interferes with conversation and takes time away from the family. Finally, some people have a beef with the power and values of the television industry and don't want its influence in their homes.

In contrast to the average American adult, who watches three hours of television a day, non-watchers fill their time with a plethora of activities.

"Non-viewers had a greater variety of things that they did with their free time than viewers did," Krcmar said. "It's not just that they were reading instead of watching TV. They were hiking and biking, and going to community meetings and visiting with friends. Overall, they tend to do more of everything."

The article goes on to talk about kids and TV, but to be honest, I don't really care about kids.

I'm pretty bored at work

I think this could be the worst movie ever

why i'm missing aubrey's b-day bash:

fuckin' shit

political+clever=

Another Tribesman's birthday

some screen shots

happy b day

Anyone have an old pic?

From Slip-n-slide #1, which was 7 years ago to the day, today.

Also, it is jb's 31st birthday, the first birthday that is a prime number for his 4th decade. Think about it.

Want to sign a letter to Obama?

An open letter to encourage the future president to stick to the ideas he espoused during the primary campaign: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080818/open_letter

I'll drink to that!

Austin named hardest-drinking city in U.S.Forbes list uses CDC data that focuses on binge drinking.

By Addie Broyles AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Friday, August 08, 2008 Feeling tipsy? You're not alone, according to Forbes magazine, which this week said that Austin might be the hardest-drinking city in America. Forbes, which releases similar rankings several times a year, used data from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey to pinpoint Austin residents' affinity for alcohol. The CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey last year found that 61.5 percent of residents said they had at least one drink in the past 30 days.

But it was the number of drinks per day that put Austin at the top of — or perhaps the bottom of — the bar. Nearly nine percent of people surveyed said they had at least one drink per day for women, two for men.

Milwaukee, Wis. came in at No. 2, followed by San Francisco, Providence, R.I., and Chicago.

The University of Texas, like most major universities in the U.S., has been battling the binge drinking image for decades. Forbes named it the No. 1 party school in 2006.

"I would hope that people would look at the methods of how these rankings are made," said Sandi Cleveland, manager at the Health Promotion and Resource Center, which is part of the University Health Services. "It's important for people to understand that UT students make up 5 percent of Austin's population when they are all here."

more here:

Jake's weed is powerful

When I showed up at Jake's house the Little Man was obliterated and had to go home because he had smoked Jake's weed. I, then, smoked some of Jake's weed and also had to go home. It was a very, very powerful weed.

PS, I'm sorry, once again that I arrived late. I will cook for the couples at my house next week.

Yes....Hello, its Meeeeguel

I went fishing last night...

...and all I caught was a stupid pony.

Is Jake still in Mexico????

Jake, are you coming home? I need to turn in the final spreadsheet for artists and their work to the gallery. I just want to make sure you are still in, and have enough time over the next month to make a piece. Let me know asap!

Chopper photos

Aimee posted some photos of the the show here.

Thanks to all who came out to da show (d-man).

for the little man in everyone

who said science isn't cool

Owls look cool

Eastern Screech-Owl

This video pretty much sums up the weather in New York right now

Check it out.(NSFW)

it's gonna be fun

Swimming this Friday!

I fly in at 10, am running just a couple errands in the morning and am NOT working at all that day! Does anyone want to go to Hamiltons Pool, Pedernales, Greenbelt or wherever Friday at 2 ish?

Waking up early

Sucks

Somethings "Happening"

This clip is just as pointless as the movie.

Track #9

Download this album for free...and then listen to the whole thing and dance. Or, skip to Track #9, time ~3:00, and bask in the wonderfulness of Yo Majesty.

last summer show

we'll be going into the studio after this 1

I need the tribe's input

Okay, so I need a really stunning photo series to put me on the photographic map. Something that can bring some attention to my name/work, something that can be exhibited in galleries, something that can bring me a book publishing deal.

Well, we need to find something that sparks interest, is a very narrow area of focus, probably involves travel to places most folks can't make it too, may be linked to larger interests in the world.

What makes a good and interesting photo series that will appeal to a broad audience:

A bizarre subculture (did you know there are only 4 Shakers left in the world?)

A subculture that is difficult or challenging to penetrate (Like Hunter S Thompson's acclaim from his iconic novel Hells Angels)

Anything music based, regional music based, etc ( Houston Hip Hip, Swedish Death Metal, Mexican Morrissey fans, etc)

Something when attached to a little white girl from Brooklyn makes it even more intriguing. (How did that photographer Aubrey Edwards photograph death row inmates in Mississippi?)

Can you guys please throw out some ideas that you think I can roll with? I really am at a blank and need a great idea to get rolling in this world. Serious inquiries only.

From the urban dictionary

1.	GET TO DA CHOPPA!
	Short for the whole phrase that Dutch (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) says in the movie Predator, which goes: "RUN! GO! GET TO DA CHOPPA!" This can many any number or things, or mean nothing at all. Frequently it is used when something exciting is happening or will happen and they need to be going someplace. It's used when there is no need to mention where you're going, you all already know where you're going. So you just yell GET TO DA CHOPPA!!!! Friends get in their seperate cars, about to leave school and meet up at the diner, but before leaving they roll down their windows and one yells "GET TO DA CHOPPA!!" before they all speed off.

Billy Bear running for office

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Sonny Landham carved out a tough-guy reputation in a series of big-screen roles, from roughing up Sylvester Stallone to getting tossed out a window by Carl Weathers. He pulls no punches in his newest role: Libertarian challenger to a man known for political toughness, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Now 67 and living in northeastern Kentucky, the man who played Billy Bear in "48 Hours" and was killed by an alien in "Predator" admits his action-movie days are behind him. "I think I'm having wild action when I take two aspirin with my hot chocolate at night," he quipped.

The actor known for his powerful physique, booming voice and his American Indian heritage says he's serious about his longshot bid, because too many politicians are indifferent to voters' problems.

Landham refers to McConnell, a four-term Republican, as "Boss Hogg" after the corrupt politician from "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV show. He bluntly called Democratic candidate and millionaire businessman Bruce Lunsford an "elitist."

Even President Bush is a target: "He took us into a war on lies," Landham said, claiming the actual intent was "to put 'Big Oil' back into Iraq."

To qualify for the November ballot, Landham must collect at least 5,000 valid petition signatures by Aug. 12. State Libertarian Party Chairman Ken Moellman said the petition drive began recently and he believes Landham will make it.

But the bid includes some campaign baggage that seems scripted for Hollywood, instead of socially conservative Kentucky. Early in his acting career in the 1970s, Landham bared it all in adult films.

Asked whether that could hurt him politically, Landham replied, "What can I do? That was a part of my life you cannot call back."

But he does express regrets.

"If I was going to do it now - knowing that I'm going to have four children, knowing that I was going to run for office - no, I wouldn't make that choice," he said. "But at the time I made the choice of getting a paycheck, staying alive for your big break."

Landham also served more than 2 1/2 years in federal prison after being convicted of making threatening and obscene phone calls to his ex-wife. The conviction was thrown out by a federal appeals court that found he committed no crime.

Libertarians, with their "live and let live" philosophy, look past his history.

"We look at the character of the man today, not what he did 30 years ago," Moellman said, noting the actor "asked his Maker for forgiveness, and that's all you can ask a man to do."

He said Landham lives "a better lifestyle" today, residing in Ashland with his fifth wife and three of his children.

The cast of 1987's "Predator" featured two future state governors: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. But the prospects of winning office seem far more remote for Landham.

Political scientist Michael Baranowski, of Northern Kentucky University, predicted minimal impact on the Senate race, though Landham could take some votes from McConnell.

"I'm not sure which is more of a hurdle for Landham, being a former porn actor or being a Libertarian Party candidate," he said. "But if the race between McConnell and Lunsford is tight enough, the votes Landham pulls from McConnell might be critical."

McConnell campaign adviser Scott Jennings said Landham won't push the Republican incumbent off his message of how he has "delivered for the commonwealth time and again."

This isn't the first dabbling in politics for Landham, who struggled to get odd jobs after being released from prison. Now he still dabbles in acting, but Social Security checks and an acting pension are his main income.

He flirted with running for governor as a Republican in 2003, left the GOP and promised an independent run. He ultimately stayed out and backed Republican Ernie Fletcher, who won.

Landham is as blunt on issues as he is skewering rivals. He equates abortion with murder. He supports scrapping the North American Free Trade Agreement. As for political correctness, he said, "PC is BS. Say what you mean, mean what you say."

Moellman said such unscripted frankness will grab voter attention.

"Sonny is very upfront," he said. "You ask Sonny a question, he'll tell you the answer. He isn't going to pull any punches, which is why I know this race is going to be a lot of fun."

in einem galaxy far, far away...

GSP was too much for tom

who is this guy

he was camping

"GARNER STATE PARK"

Oh Mario!

My guess is that the next letter is an 'N'.

My first day of summer

The true story of when Little Man met his doppelganger

I want to tell this story from a non-lil man point of view....considering by the time Little Man met his Doppelganger, he had an excess to drink. He was drunk by the time I met him at 7:30, having been bar hopping solo in the city then awaiting my arrival at a Brooklyn bar with a glass of scotch and a beer. He was, at this point, offensive to others (definitely not me as I do not offend easily).

But I was the "one without tattoos"! Also, Laphroaig 10yo is delicious!!!

While at dinner over Indian food, Little Man had googly eyes and was screaming way too loudly about vaginas and "hairy cups."

Actually, I think it was furry cups, and my melodious tunes were nary above a stage whisper.

By the time we got to Dave's friend's party, Little Man insulted several people, including the host.

Slander. You'll be hearing from my team of diligent and astute attorneys and barristers shortly.

Little Man threw trash on the host's birthday cake plate while he was eating his own birthday cake.

O come on, said trash was an itsy bitsy receipt wadded up, with which I was actually playing Paper Football with the host.

To which the host replied " wow, seriously dude, that's fucked up."

His wonderful taste in bourbon of the Maker's Mark bottling ensures we were BFFs by the point in the evening, thus rendering this quote maliciously vilifying. The counsel's tumescence swells.

Little Man made some more offensive comments to others,

Only to you.

including a comment directed to the South American guest named Hugo, little man screamed " Can you believe this guy's name is Google!?!?"

Also directed to you, not Google.

Now, the moment of reckoning came when I noticed that Dave's coworker was in attendance, sitting on the couch. He is not a dwarf, nor a midget, but rather a true "little man" coming in at about 4'10". I saw impending doom and disaster as he came over to say hello to us. Now, Dave made the initial mistake of introducing Nick to the real little man as "Little Man," I mean, how else do you introduce Nick to people? Certainly not as "Nick." So, I could see, immediately, in Dave's eyes, as the words came out of his mouth, that he knew he had fucked up. So, here is the question.... if you were Nick Little Man, do you:

1) say " Nice to meet you" to the real little man and go about your business
2) begin a long winded and unspecific explanation of why your nickname is Little Man, that can be seen as incredibley insensitive to outside observers.

3) introduce yourself as Little Man, and then begin a concise explanation of the moniker (which is what happened).

addendum: if people find it insensitive to meet someone who gets dumped with a nickname due to being short, hairy, and hoary voiced at 14 years of age, then they can fuck right off. Lyk srlsly.

The doppelganger little man replied with "Yeah, I wouldn't know anything about that...." and walked away on his little legs.

T, FTFY.

Our Little Man claims that he didn't realize that the real Little Man was a little man, even though he was Nick's height while Nick was sitting and he was standing. There were many gaping mouths.

This is true, and it was about 3 seconds after I saw your faces, looked back over to the doppelganger, and thought, "Oh, Ohhh, Ohhhhhhhh!". Ps--there's no way in fuckballs I'm 4'10" sitting.

I thought it was fucking hilarious, others did not. I mean, when the fuck will Little Man have a meeting with a true little man in my presence. Allah hath alligned the stars for such.

The take home message. Ps-Elijah had a hand in this as well.

Don't worry Little Man, Dave apologized for you.

My formidable counsel advises me against such course, and they demand that he rescind his apology on my behalf effective immediately.

I love you unconditionally.

I love you unconditionally, too.

The true story of when Little Man met his doppelganger

I want to tell this story from a non-lil man point of view....considering by the time Little Man met his Doppelganger, he had an excess to drink. He was drunk by the time I met him at 7:30, having been bar hopping solo in the city then awaiting my arrival at a Brooklyn bar with a glass of scotch and a beer. He was, at this point, offensive to others (definitely not me as I do not offend easily). While at dinner over Indian food, Little Man had googly eyes and was screaming way too loudly about vaginas and "hairy cups."

By the time we got to Dave's friend's party, Little Man insulted several people, including the host. Little Man threw trash on the host's birthday cake plate while he was eating his own birthday cake. To which the host replied " wow, seriously dude, that's fucked up." Little Man made some more offensive comments to others, including a comment directed to the South American guest named Hugo, little man screamed " Can you believe this guy's name is Google!?!?"

Now, the moment of reckoning came when I noticed that Dave's coworker was in attendance, sitting on the couch. He is not a dwarf, nor a midget, but rather a true "little man" coming in at about 4'10". I saw impending doom and disaster as he came over to say hello to us. Now, Dave made the initial mistake of introducing Nick to the real little man as "Little Man," I mean, how else do you introduce Nick to people? Certainly not as "Nick." So, I could see, immediately, in Dave's eyes, as the words came out of his mouth, that he knew he had fucked up. So, here is the question.... if you were Nick Little Man, do you:

1) say " Nice to meet you" to the real little man and go about your business
2) begin a long winded and unspecific explanation of why your nickname is Little Man, that can be seen as incredibley insensitive to outside observers.

The real Little Man replied with "Yeah, I can understand...." and walked away on his little legs.

Our Little Man claims that he didn't realize that the real Little Man was a little man, even though he was Nick's height while Nick was sitting and he was standing. There were many gaping mouths.

I thought it was fucking hilarious, others did not. I mean, when the fuck will Little Man have a meeting with a true little man in my presence. Allah hath alligned the stars for such.

Don't worry Little Man, Dave apologized for you.

I love you unconditionally.

i met my little man doppelgånger (the non-ironical version)

Last night, somewhere in Jackson Heights, I introduced myself as Little Man to someone who was, unbeknownst to me, an actual little man. Let's just say tactfulness isn't my strong suit, and leave it at that. Retrospectively, I confess it was funny when I explained to him the ontogeny of the nickname Little Man.

finally...7yrs later

so here's proof this thing got taken care of

on a certain tuesday

Sweet Dreams, Eyes.

If the Eyes has night terrors again, here's why:

CARTER 3 available now

Weezy really went for it this time.

therealdeal.com

First Water-Slide Looping in Germany

boys, it's time to take it to the next level...and i'm not just talkin about speedos.

next show...same as the first

water proof cameras rule

Learning to Skateboard

enjoy

The Hurricane is Landing

Saturday morning.
I am competing in a triathalon on Sunday morning, so I may stay the night at Beth's, not sure yet. I will, however, be staying the night on Sunday.

dudes

i would like to copy-paste something funny or relevant, but all I can think of is Ice Pirates.


Lil man and i sat through this space oddity, braving the jokes and pony tails. Since at least half of the readers/contributors of TSPT work at a video store, maybe we could have a round table talk in the comments section. Castration, new fonts, and some really quirky robots all show up in this digital delight. The ending is really good, btw, totally worth the time investment.

last minute show

Obese blamed for the world's ills

Obese people are contributing to the world food crisis and climate change, experts say.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine calculated the obese consume 18% more calories than average.

They are also responsible for using more fuel, which has an environmental impact and drives up food prices as transport and agriculture both use oil.

The result is that the poor struggle to afford food and greenhouse gas emissions rise, the Lancet reported.

It comes as the World Health Organization predicts the obese population will double by 2015 to 700m.

Transport and food policy and the importance of sustainable transport must not be overlooked
Dr Phil Edwards, report co-author
In the UK, nearly a quarter of adults are classed obese, twice as many as there were in the 1980s.

The team found that obese people require 1,680 daily calories to sustain normal energy and another 1,280 to maintain daily activities - a fifth more than normal.

The higher consumption of food has a two-fold effect, researchers said.

First of all the increasing demand for food, drives up production.

This means that agricultural processes are using more oil to meet demand, which contributes to the rising cost of fuel.

The cost of fuel is then passed on in the cost of food, making it more difficult for poorer areas to afford it.

Prices

What is more, the researchers said obese people are likely to rely on transport more and put more strain on that transport because of their mass, which again drives up prices and usage.

But the researchers said there was a solution.

Phil Edwards, who co-authored the article, said: "Urban transport policies that promote walking and cycling would reduce food prices by reducing the global demand for oil and promotion of a normal weight.

And they added: "Decreased car use would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Transport and food policy and the importance of sustainable transport must not be overlooked."

But Dr David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum, said it was "stretching it a bit" to blame the obese in the way.

"Really, it is discriminatory towards obese people. They are an easy target at the moment, but I think the causes of climate change and rising food prices is much more complex."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7404268.stm

Published: 2008/05/16 09:59:04 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

The Symbols on My Flag (And What They Mean)

by jack handey

the bra and panties stand for women’s rights.

Davy Crockett shaking hands with Daniel Boone symbolizes how we need to put aside our differences.

The skull and crossbones, in the lower right corner, stands for pirates, and all that they have given us.

The angel holding the sword represents how guns are nice but swords are more of a “heavenly” thing.

The plow with the four-leaf clover symbolizes the luck of the farmer.

The quicksand represents the travails of life. The hand sticking out of it is so you know it’s quicksand and not just a dirty spot on the flag.

The bat stands for eternal life, through our lord Dracula.

The sheaf of wheat symbolizes the bounty of the land, and the hope that soon more things will come in sheaves.

The parrot represents the need to communicate, even if it’s only squawks.

The tin of paprika stands for paprika, a spice I hope to learn more about.

The triskelion indicates that I know what a triskelion is.

The sun on the horizon makes you wonder, Is it rising or setting? And is it our sun or a weird invader sun? The five rays coming out of the sun symbolize the five times that I have had sex.

The big word “NO” refers to the boy running with the pair of scissors. If you look closer, you can see that he also has a pair of scissors sticking in his thigh and another in his belly. This symbolizes the need for kids not to run with scissors, especially if they’ve already been stuck by scissors.

The bulldozer pushing over the pine tree stands for progress. And the bluebird flying out of the tree symbolizes the way bluebirds fly off when you knock down their trees.

The rose stands for blood. So does the sparkling ruby. And so does the bucket with “Blood” written on the side. All hail Dracula!

The eagle, you will note, is the centerpiece of my flag. It symbolizes freedom. Also the ability to see far away, so you can spot somebody doing something fishy and get him locked up.

In his talon, the eagle is holding a clutch of arrows. This symbolizes the growing problem of Indian litterbugs. Wrapped around the eagle’s other talon is a big ball of fishing line, which represents my love of fishing.

The banner in the eagle’s beak, if you can’t read it, says “Courage, Valor, Dignity, ANTS!!”

It’s easy to tell what some of the symbols on my flag mean. The tweezers symbolize tweezing. The dog symbolizes doggies. Good boy! Good doggie! But the meaning of other symbols is not so clear, even to me. What does the T. rex stepping on the Martian mean? Perhaps scholars can figure it out.

My flag started out as nothing more than the word “NO” on a blank background and has evolved over the years. Recently, my friend Don told me that my flag had too many symbols, that it was “cluttered.” I wanted to punch him, but instead I ran out into the howling storm, fell on my knees, and railed against the night. “Why me, Lord?” I sobbed. “Why me?” Then I saw my flag, illuminated by my spotlight and my rotating Christmas color wheel, flying proudly above the tool shed. As the flag snapped in the wind, some of my symbols, which I guess I hadn’t sewn on too well, flew off like leaves. There were also some real leaves blowing by, but mostly it was symbols. And I thought, Maybe Don’s right. Maybe I do need to “thin out” my flag. So I wound up removing some of the symbols, leaving only the ones you see here today. If it’s still “cluttered,” then so be it. I would rather have a cluttered flag than one that has no meaning whatsoever. ♦

PEEPS BIKINI!!!

Thanks to Elliott for purchasing 200 peeps and mailing them to me. Hooray for Spring!!

mo chop

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=GET+TO+DA+CHOPPA!

if you missed the last one

the photo really says it all

check this out...

View Larger Map

guess who was at the house when google maps drove by? elliot came over to show me his manicure kit he bought for xmas ("for someone else"). how gay is that?

"Sammy, Ich bin dein Dickbitch"

Galgenhumor...

Ripped from the headlines (actuallyNYTimes)

Next month, Washington D.C. residents will be able to rent a bicycle day and night with the swipe of a membership card.
A new public-private venture called SmartBike DC will make 120 bicycles available at 10 spots in central locations in the city. The automated program, which district officials say is the first of its kind in the nation, will operate in a similar fashion to car-sharing programs like Zipcar.
read more here

For those who missed my antlion presentation Sunday night...

Don't know why I didn't think of the ol' YouTube thing last night. Too many juice-packs, perhaps.

I forgot about the part where they throw sand at ants or spiders that escape its grasp and make them fall back into the vortex of deeeeaaaaaaaaattttthhhhhhhh.



I (heart) antlions.

Is this what it means for one to "Get to da chopper!" ?

1. GET TO DA CHOPPA!
Short for the whole phrase that Dutch (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) says in the movie Predator, which goes:
"RUN! GO! GET TO DA CHOPPA!"

This can many any number or things, or mean nothing at all.
Frequently it is used when something exciting is happening or will happen and they need to be going someplace. It's used when there is no need to mention where you're going, you all already know where you're going. So you just yell GET TO DA CHOPPA!!!!

Friends get in their seperate cars, about to leave school and meet up at the diner, but before leaving they roll down their windows and one yells "GET TO DA CHOPPA!!" before they all speed off.

bike + beer =

cons + cons.5

NPR on Mac users

http://marketplace. publicradio. org/display/web/2008/04/23/mac_users/

Those Mac users think they're so cool

A new marketing study has found Mac owners tend to think they're more extraordinary than the average Joe. They're also more likely than PC users to whiten their teeth, drive hybrids, drink Starbucks coffee and eat organic food. Andrea Gardner reports.



More on Innovation, Marketing - Advertising
TEXT OF STORY

KAI RYSSDAL: It was technology's turn in the earnings barrel today. After the bell, Amazon reported a 28 percent rise in first quarter profits. Apple said its profits jumped more than 35 percent. That's got to have shareholders thankful for all those iPod and Mac owners out there, thankful for the advertising and marketing teams, too, They've made a splash with those commercials, the ones where the techno-hip Mac guy triumphs over the clueless PC guy.



Andrea Gardner reports Mac owners might be a little clueless themselves.



ANDREA GARDNER: You know the commercial.



MAC COMMERCIAL: Hello I'm a Mac --- And I'm a PC.



Apple rolled out these ads to make you think Macs are much cooler than PCs. After all, the Mac guy wears designer jeans and sneakers, and the PC guy is overweight and balding, but over time, many consumers have found themselves charmed by the bumbling PC, and irritated by the lofty Mac. Marissa Gluck is a marketing analyst with Radar Research.



MARISSA GLUCK: The character of the Mac guy is almost too perfectly cast. He is smug. He is condescending. He's just that uber-hipster you love to hate. It just makes you want to slap him.



According to a new marketing study, if you own a Mac, you might want to slap yourself. Mindset Media surveyed 7,500 computer users in 20 different personality traits, such as self-esteem, pragmatism and modesty. They found that Mac owners pretty much personify the Mac guy from the commercials. Among other things, they think they're more extraordinary than the average Joe. That's according to Mindset co-founder Sarah Welch.



SARAH WELCH: This is a group that is not afraid to shout its accomplishments from the mountaintops. They're happy and proud to talk about their successes and their accomplishments, and that can come across as possibly a bit conceited.



The survey revealed that Mac users often describe themselves as perfectionists. They're also more likely than PC users to whiten their teeth, drive hybrids, drink Starbucks coffee and eat organic food. Nitty-gritty research like this helps companies craft an advertising message around their customer's mindset. Again, marketing analyst Marissa Gluck.



GLUCK: It gives advertisers just a fuller understanding of who their target market is.

What are their preferences? What makes them tick? Why do they buy certain products?

Apple didn't commission the Mindset survey, but it's clear that the company knows its buyer. Apple's computer market share has grown significantly since these ads debuted in 2006, but there are risks when companies create ads that precisely reflect the persona of their core consumers. For some, it could be too close for comfort, says Gluck.



GLUCK: I do think that Mac users recognize themselves in the Mac guy, but there's probably that uncomfortable recognition, that slightly uncomfortable degree of self-hatred that you've become a cliche.



After taking an honest look in the mirror, I too realized that the Mac cliche is fitting: perfectionist, Starbucks drinker, organic eater, and yes, even a bit superior. Not surprisingly, I own a Mac, sigh.



In Los Angeles, I'm Andrea Gardner for Marketplace.

i have to poo, like right now at 10:56 ante meridian

My blog!!

Hi, how are you guys. I hope you enjoy my teenage photo, ha! Anyway, the reason of this post is to let you know that I've created my own blog. Like is says in the blog, sometimes I like to write, which I do and this time I have found more time to do it. They're usually just random thoughts that I put down on words. I hope you like this latest one. I'll put some other old ones later.

Mario P's Blogo!

Later homies!!

cat of a 1,000 faces...old?

Damn, it has been such a long time!

Photos of early radness!!
There was no photoshop, but the ideas were there.

SAMMY CROCHET

sam was so drunk last night that...

and what happened to little man?

fuck

.

REUNION SHOW !!!

with 4 or 5 new songs

This could be cool

nm

relive your past/stare for hours

http://www.asphaltanthology.com

Strip Foosball

Evidence that foosball is a man's man kind of game.