cultural observation
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: Seven Words, shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits, fart, turd, twat, television, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
When the contractors were once again in the flat, trying unsuccessfully to fix the IKEA kitchen fiasco that has cost my spouse many thousands of euros, I said to one of them (who claimed he didn't know any English); "I'll bet I can name at least three English words that you do know: shit, fuck and damn."
His speechless laughter was confirmation enough.
grrlscientist | January 31, 2010tags: christianity, religion, cults, mind control, social phenomenon, Harry Potter, witchcraft, beliefs, education, streaming video
This video is a report on the christian wingnuts' response to Harry Potter -- it seems this is another cult of mind-control that is unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Since today is my birthday, and I am a rabid Harry Potter fan, I will spend this entire day brushing up on my spells and wand-work by watching Harry Potter DVDs. Since alcohol will also be involved, I urge you all to watch out, lest I (accidentally?) change someone into a toad.…
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010tags: Mormonism, religion, cults, mind control, social phenomenon, moron, offbeat, beliefs, Proposition 8, education, streaming video
As a group, mormons are some of the passive-aggressive people I know. They are nice to everyone, but they are vicious and intolerant behind your back. This film trailer is one example of the double-face I've seen and experienced while growing up among mormons. This is a trailer from the documentary film, 8: The Mormon Proposition. This film investigates how the mormon cult was behind the banning of gay marriage in California. In short, mormons dumped millions…
grrlscientist | January 30, 2010tags: Downfall, Hitler Responds to the iPad, technology, Apple, Hitler, satire, parody, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
Hitler has been dreaming about the day that Apple's tablet will be announced. That day has come and he is not pleased.
grrlscientist | January 29, 2010tags: Child Worship, childhood, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, bible, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
There are no losers in America anymore (how the fuck did I miss out on that valuable experience?)
grrlscientist | January 29, 2010tags: How To Report The News, journalism, television news, cultural observation, Charlie Brooker, satire, parody, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
This video parody brilliantly dissects the average television news report. It is not only hilarious, but it's unfortunately too true, and for this reason alone, should alert video news teams that their craft is in jeopardy because of its stunning inanity and predictability.
This should be required viewing for all journalism classes.
grrlscientist | January 28, 2010tags: Rights and Privileges, ethics, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, bible, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
Rights are cute ideas. Rights aren't rights at all if someone can take them away. 'God-given rights' are due to the god excuse: if god really gave you rights, he would have given you the right to have food every day and a roof over your head. But god is not (obviously!) taking care of you at all.
grrlscientist | January 27, 2010tags: Baseball versus Football, sports, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
I despise baseball, but enjoy football (and futbol, too). My fellow NYCers were brainless drooling idiots when it came to the Yankees, and I reminded them of this as often as possible. The fact that I am still alive to talk about it means that all you religious wingnuts have yet another defensible "miracle" you can cite. (But that's another video). But here's George Carlin's commentary about baseball (which only serves to further elevate his status…
grrlscientist | January 27, 2010tags: health, medicine, TEDMED,health care, medical records, GPS, geography, geomedicine, Bill Davenhall, TEDTalks, streaming video
Where you live: It impacts your health as much as diet and genes do, but it's not part of your medical records. At TEDMED, Bill Davenhall shows how overlooked government geo-data (from local heart-attack rates to toxic dumpsite info) can mesh with mobile GPS apps to keep doctors in the loop. Call it "geo-medicine."
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the…
grrlscientist | January 27, 2010I was reading the words of my brilliant friend, Digital Cuttlefish, this morning (which is the middle of the night for my American friends), and ran across this gem;
They were starving; they were homeless; they were dying; they were dead.
There were bodies to be buried; there were children to be fed.
There were broken heaps of rubble where the houses used to stand
There was utter devastation; there was chaos in the land.
There were frantic cries for rescue; there were howls of fear and pain
There were heroes risking life and limb, with much to lose or gain.
There were millions in donations--…
grrlscientist | January 26, 2010tags: Have a Nice Day, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
George Carlin can make anything funny. No, seriously.
grrlscientist | January 26, 2010tags: Story of Stuff, environment, pollution, climate change, global warming, recycling, social commentary, cultural observation, planned obsolescence, perceived obsolescence, fashion, advertizing, social psychology, streaming video
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental…
grrlscientist | January 24, 2010tags: We Like War, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
George Carlin, a comedic genius, makes a few priceless (and disturbing) observations about America's fondness for war.
grrlscientist | January 24, 2010tags: Mormonism, religion, cults, mind control, social phenomenon, moron, offbeat, beliefs, cartoon, education, streaming video
Just in case you think I think that christians comprise the only wingnut cult in the world, think again. Thanks to the aggressive policing policy of the mormon cult, it's not so easy to find videos that describe what they are about, but I finally managed to get to one video before the mormon thought police did, so you should watch this before it disappears (as its predecessors have);
If that cult doesn't read like badly written science fiction fanfic by pimply-faced…
grrlscientist | January 23, 2010tags: The Ten Commandments, religion, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, satire, parody, streaming video
There's no LOGICAL argument against anything George Carlin says in this routine. Obviously Christians will argue but then as George says LOGIC is something religion has a big problem with.
George Carlin (1937-2008) was a champion of free speech. Some (like me) think he was the greatest comedian who had ever lived. Here's one of his classic skits where he comments about the ten commandments.
grrlscientist | January 20, 2010tags: Metaphorically Speaking, language, pattern recognition,conceptual synesthesia, cognitive dissonance, James Geary, TEDTalks, streaming video
Aphorism enthusiast and author James Geary waxes on a fascinating fixture of human language: the metaphor. Friend of scribes from Aristotle to Elvis, metaphor can subtly influence the decisions we make, Geary says. This talk is interesting for many reasons, not the least of which is because the speaker uses an extended metaphor to describe metaphors.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference,…
grrlscientist | January 20, 2010tags: The Downfall, Hitler, funny, weird, parody, scientific research paper, peer-review process, scientific publishing, streaming video
OMG, this is the most hilarious scientific research video parody I've seen. It is a fly-on-the-wall view of what happens when a research paper is sent out for peer-review and the mysterious reviewer #3 demands more experiments before the paper is accepted for publication. Unfortunately, it is closer to the truth than the public (and even some scientists) realizes ...
"Or I could write it up for Scientific American."
Hahahaha!
grrlscientist | January 19, 2010tags: How It's Made: French Fries, food science, engineering, technology, streaming video
Long, skinny French fries .. are NOT EXTRUDED! Toldyaso! Don't believe me? Watch this video! Yes, I win this argument! Muahahahaha!
Vinegar on fries? Ew! But that's how those wacky Brits eat "chips", I guess.
grrlscientist | January 17, 2010tags: Dragons Den, Bruce's Juice, television, snake oil, cure-all, WTF, broken dreams, streaming video
Ultra-pure water with silver in it is a cure-all? Um, I've never watched Dragons Den and if this is an example of the sleaze they feature on it, then I never want to. How cruel is it to raise someone's hopes and dreams only to have her lose everything, including her life?
"Bruce, I don't think you're crazy, but you disgust me" Robert opines.
H/T: more friend and colleague, Cath Ennis.
grrlscientist | January 17, 2010tags: I Have a Dream, Martin Luther King, Jr., MLK, politics, civil rights, history, United States, streaming video
If you live in the USA, then you should know that today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This is my favorite holiday in the States because it celebrates values instead of gross consumerism. It celebrates America's core values of human/civil rights as well as freedom for all (not just for the rich, as is the case now).
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Have a Dream
August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.
[Transcribed from the video]
I am happy to join with you today in…