• Category Archives Tuesday Time-Waster

  • Tuesday Time-Waster: Musical mash-ups

    Posted on by Layla 3 Comments

    It’s the return of the 11:11 a.m. Tuesday Time-Waster series! So, what induced me to post something to distract you on this Tuesday morning (depending on your timezone)? Music, that’s what.

    When you take two different genres of music and mash them together, sometimes the results are mind-blowing. Case in point: when Metallica teamed up with the San Francisco Symphony. The resulting two-disc album is, hands down, my favorite album of all time. (And that’s saying a lot, because I’m terribly indecisive.) I bought the album the week it came out in 1999, and I’ve had at least one of the CDs on standby in my car ever since.

    I was recently playing Philip Glass music (classical) on repeat while finishing up that very long road trip blog post. I’ve always been a Blondie (rock) fan. So when I happened to see both of their names listed in one song, I dropped everything and followed the link. The result is cool.

    Then I began exploring the other songs posted by that SoundCloud user, whose name is the intriguing “Daft Beatles.” Daft Punk meets the Beatles?! Why, yes. Adele meets Guns and Roses? Yes, that happens, too. How about anything involving the Top Gun theme song?

    Somewhere back around 2000, I actually created some very short mashups. They were short and extremely rough, and I vaguely recall that it was a painfully slow process, though I’m sure “there’s an app for that” now. I don’t think I’m creative enough to really make great mashups, but can someone make me a cool mash-up involving The Birthday Massacre’s song “Pins and Needles“? That’s been played quite a few times around here lately, and I have no idea why I haven’t just bought the whole album already. Warning: Their music already sounds a little like a mash-up, so your results could be a disaster.


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: Dancing in Public

    Posted on by Layla 1 Comment

    It’s the Tuesday after Daylight Saving Time, and I’m still in denial that it’s so dark for so long in the mornings now. The rain finally came, which is a good thing, but it was accompanied by wind. In other words, Tuesday needs a pick-me-up.

    So, how about this video done by a friend of mine? It’s called “Dancing in Public” and is exactly that. (If you’re watching at work, it’s OK to have the sound turned off, because the dancing and people’s reactions are the funny parts.)

    Dancing In Public from Nuthouse Media on Vimeo.

    Around the 1:40 mark, those who’ve visited California’s capitol will recognize the governor’s office. Around 2:40, there’s a fun shot. At 3:40, it’s just ridiculous. If you do nothing else, by all means stop at the 4:00 mark. Seriously, that’s the best part.

    The dancer and creator of the video is an old friend of mine, who I’ve known for about 20 years now. Growing up in the middle of nowhere, in a place that only recently got DSL (yes, this is 2012) , I wouldn’t have imagined that I’d be telling people to go online to see a fancy video that Sean created. Times change!


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: Penguin cam

    Posted on by Layla 1 Comment

    I kind of like penguins. OK, I really like penguins. One indication is my shelf crammed full of stuffed penguins, all of which were given to me and the oldest of which is about 25 years old. Then there are the penguin salt and pepper shakers, and the penguin doormat that comes out at Christmas. When I was a kid, I wanted to hug an emperor penguin, and I may or may not still want to do that.

    But, for some reason, I still haven’t seen the penguins at the nearby California Academy of Sciences.  I don’t know why. (Note to self: Do that in 2012.)

    Then I read an article about a biologist who works with the African penguins at the academy. And that’s how I learned that there is — wait for it — a live penguin camera! They add audio twice a day at feeding time!

    Penguins! (Courtesy of Cal Academy of Sciences)

    And, as if that’s not enough, they have a mobile app! Next time I’m sitting on the train for 45 minutes, you can guess what I’ll be doing.


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: Yosemite time lapse

    Posted on by Layla Comment

    If you’ve never been to Yosemite, go. If you have been to Yosemite, go back. In the meantime, go watch four minutes of time-lapse videos from the national park. It’s a way to see a bit of the beauty while you’re sitting at your computer on a Tuesday morning.

    I’ve been to Yosemite three times, the last time in August 2010 when I hiked 19 miles round-trip and climbed Half Dome. That last 400-foot climb up up the sheer granite face of Half Dome was crazy, and the trip back down is still probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, including marathons. It was SO completely worth it. That’s the photo in my “About Me” section, though the cooler photos are of my feet hanging off the ledge at the top.


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: Grinch

    Posted on by Layla Comment

    Today’s 11:11 time-waster is, in my opinion, not a time-waster — regardless of whether you’re a runner or your opinions on the causes of autism. It’s the story of a fundraiser that got shut down by someone who decided, “If I can’t do a much bigger version of what they’re doing, they can’t do it, either.”

    The fundraiser was the day after Christmas. It’s named for Jack, a rather cute little 8-year-old boy. And the person who became the Grinch was none other than a lawyer. How’s that for a trifecta? (For the record, over the years I’ve actually entertained the idea of law school and I know a number of lawyers. Some of them are really great people, and some of them are the opposite.)

    Here’s a blog post that sums up the whole matter. It was written almost two weeks ago, and I waited to see the comments. I’ve read them all, including the rebuttals from the Grinch. He didn’t help himself at all, so for his professional sake I hope he does better live in the courtroom.

    Here’s the brief version: Sam is a husband and father who created Operation Jack, a non-profit whose proceeds go to autism awareness and research. We’ve chatted online, via text and email, and have met in person several times. A while back, Sam lost a whole bunch of weight and took up running, then discovered that he could run pretty quickly. Last year, he ran 61 marathons with the sole goal of raising money for Operation Jack. The last marathon was near his home and named the Operation Jack Marathon, and there were simultaneous satellite runs around the country.

    This year the Operation Jack Marathon was held again, and there were satellite runs again. Basically, that means that groups of people got together across the country to run some miles. They ran in Jack’s honor and they donated some money. Some people ran solo. Some got a few friends together. In Houston, a few friends planned to run in a public park. Then word began spreading online, and suddenly 29 people were going to gather at that park in Houston on the morning after Christmas. (This is nothing compared to the 40+ people I used to run with in a town with a population of 60,000.)

    Enter the Grinch. It turns out that some people in Houston have been trying to get city permission to hold a race in that park, but they’ve been turned down. When they heard that some other local residents were organizing a run in the park, they got mad. Days before the race, they complained to city officials. Those city officials then told the Operation Jack runners that, because city officials now knew about the event, they couldn’t run. Fortunately the Operation Jack runners found another location in another part of the city. But some runners couldn’t make it to the new location, and Sam refunded their donations — to the tune of $500.

    The thing is, the Grinch missed a golden opportunity. Next time he tried to get a permit to hold an official race, he could have pointed to this little Operation Jack run as a success. Instead, he became the tattle-tale that no authority figure likes but must listen to. In other words, the next time this Grinch applies for a permit, city officials will think, “Yeah, this is the guy who shut down that little charity run at Christmas.”

    I have run in, volunteered at, and helped organize a number of races of all distances and sizes. I know what goes on behind the scenes. Due to my former job, I also know what goes on behind the scenes in city offices. Let’s just say that I am a bit amused by the fact that this Grinch and his cohorts have been denied permits. There are always reasons.

    I actually feel a little sorry for this Grinch. For one thing, he lost a golden opportunity. For another thing, he can’t research very well. And, to top it off, he spends his days defending drunken drivers. I’m a firm believer in “innocent until proven guilty,” but I also know that the only way to get out of a drunken driving conviction is on a technicality or if police messed up. In other words, almost every single one of the Grinch’s clients really was out driving drunkenly on the roads, and any one of them could have run over his loved ones — and he’s tasked with the job of defending them. No wonder he decided to direct his lawyer ways at a little group of 29 people who wanted to run on the day after Christmas. It’s how grinches operate.


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: Gummy bear gifts

    Posted on by Layla

    It’s December, which means you’re probably trying to come up with gifts to give people so that you hopefully avoid the game of “everyone give each other a gift card.”

    Well, nothing says “Happy Holidays!” like these:

    Yes, that’s right; they’re gummy bear earbuds. To make matters better or worse, they’re scented. I can’t decide whether apple, raspberry or blueberry would smell more revolting while I was out on a 20-mile run.

    But that’s not the only gummy bear treat on that website (which is chock full of awesome stuff)! For $12, you can get a half-pound gummy bear on a stick. If you’re opposed to all things gummy bear, maybe you’d prefer bacon-flavored candy canes? Or an inflatable fruitcake?

    So, there’s a way to waste time at 11:11 a.m. on a Tuesday — doing some Christmas shopping.

    I’m working on a photo-filled post about this weekend, and I’m about to register for an ultra-marathon. In other words, life around here is pretty normal.


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: Flower maker

    Posted on by Layla

    Thanksgiving weekend was a ton of fun, because I had company. It’s rare that family visits, and all but one of my immediate family members live out of state, so you can imagine my joy at having not one but TWO of them come to town. Activities ranged from seeing the Golden Gate Bridge in perfect light to going to a Raiders game — and rooting for the Bears. Despite the sincere worries of many friends, I made it out of Oakland alive despite cheering against the hardcore Raider Nation.

    Anyway, moving on to the weekly 11:11 a.m. time-waster. We’re barrelling along toward Christmas, so if you get really creative, here’s a site where you can possibly draw your own pointsettia. I say “possibly” because you might need to try a few times. If you’re like me and don’t really have any artistic skills, you can still create very cool kaleidoscope-like flowers. Try loading some of the pre-set flowers to get ideas, then clear the canvas and experiment. It’s much more addictive than I would imagine.


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: Everest view

    Posted on by Layla

    Maybe I’m weird (no comments from the peanut gallery), but it is just SO COOL to be up high somewhere and see a different view of the world. Seriously, I love it. Airplane rides are cramped and long and tiring, but I simply love the steep ascent and the marvelous views.

    So, for this week’s 11:11 a.m. time-waster, how about looking at the view from atop Mt. Everest? Here’s a 360-degree panoramic view of the mountain. Click to look up or down, and to move side to side, slower or more quickly.

    I won’t ever climb Mt. Everest, so these kinds of websites are the next best thing. No, really, I have no plans to ever climb the tallest mountain in the world. It’s 29,029 feet tall, and that’s a bit too thin of atmosphere for me! I grew up at the foot of 14,162-foot Mt. Shasta, and I haven’t come close to attempting to climb that, either. An old high school classmate of mine periodically tries to convince me to go, so you never know…

    Oh, and if you think I’m kidding about liking the view from higher up, here’s a slightly embarrassing admission: When I was growing up, we had a step stool in the bathroom so my younger sisters could reach the sink when brushing their teeth. Even after I’d stopped growing, I’d sometimes stand on it and think, “Wow, so this is what it’s like to be tall and have to lean waaaayyyy over to spit out toothpaste!” Sadly, I am short.


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: NYC Marathon in sketches

    Posted on by Layla

    Last week’s 11:11 a.m. Tuesday Time-Waster didn’t happen because I was gallivanting around New York City, when I wasn’t running 26.2 miles through it along with 47,000 other crazies.

    During the marathon, I saw people from more countries than I can count. I saw people in all kinds of outfits, including the four people wearing lacy yellow underwear over their black running tights. Late in the race, I passed a guy in a hot pink sasquatch-like costume, but my friend Erin later informed me that a guy dressed as grapes — covered in purple balloons — was far ahead of me.

    One guy I wish I could have seen was the New York Times cartoonist who sketched his way through the marathon, posting photos of the drawings to Twitter.

    Valid concerns!

    Go look at his blog post that I linked up there. It’s pretty fantastic, and definitely worth a few minutes of your Tuesday.


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  • Tuesday Time-Waster: A changing racist

    Posted on by Layla

    While quickly skimming local news to make sure I hadn’t missed anything big, I came across this story about a radical skinhead who wanted to change his life and get rid of his racist tattoos. I read it, then clicked to the next page. And the next. It was the second of a two-part story, so I soon dug up the first part.

    This is a bit of a detour from the Tuesday Time-Wasters I’ve been posting, most of which are games or amusing stories. But I think it’s worth spending a little bit of your time to read these stories. And I want to tell you a story.

    When I was a sophomore in high school, I spent a semester in math class gently trying to convince a fellow classmate that blacks and Jews were no different than he. Our teacher switched up our groups every month but, for some reason, that student and I wound up in the same group when we switched. We got along well, and I helped him with the math work while having discussions about racism. I was young, but by then I knew all about racism, and I knew not to shove beliefs down his throat. I knew that I had to try to understand where he was coming from, and to reach him from that angle.

    The thing is, he played sports with black people; he got along just fine with them and joked with them, but he still thought they were inferior. He saw nothing wrong with the KKK. He wasn’t mean; he just didn’t understand the damage and devastation that racism can inflict — and that underneath, we’re all the same. Somewhere along the line, he’d come to believe differently. After a while, I told him that the girl who helped him pass math that semester was half Jewish. That threw him for a loop.

    To his credit, he didn’t treat me any differently after that revelation. He actually started to come around. I remember the day he acknowledged that he really had no basis for judging people because of their skin color or ethnicity. I think he even began to realize that the remarks he thought were funny were actually hurtful.

    And then he died in a tragic accident. It rocked our small school. The days afterward were so sad. But I had this weird sense of relief that I DID say something the first time he made a racist remark, that I DID take a stand, that I hadn’t kept silent until it was too late. I’ve always wondered what would have become of him if he hadn’t died. Would our discussions have been enough? I like to think they would — that he would have gone on to pursue the career he planned, that he would have worked with people of various races, that he would have had children who wouldn’t have any racist tendencies.

    We can’t always take a stand. I said nothing when I had a man in my face, sporting Nazi tattoos all over his arms — including double lightning bolts, which the man in those articles also had because he’d beaten someone unconscious. I encountered that man while working as a journalist, and it was my job to listen to him, not to try changing his beliefs. In a way, I was doing my part by showing people how he viewed the world. (Plus, he was surrounded by pit bulls, while I was a female with a notebook and pen.)

    But when you can speak up and say something safely, do it. Don’t give the other person a reason to hate you. Don’t go overboard. Just gently try to show them another view. You’ll never know when that will be your only chance to make a difference. And you’ll never know if your words will sink in and resurface later, when that person truly wants to change.


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