Archives
September 2006
9/30/06
9/30/06
9/29/06
9/29/06
9/29/06
9/29/06
9/29/06
9/28/06
9/28/06
9/28/06
9/28/06
9/28/06
9/28/06
9/27/06
9/27/06
9/27/06
9/27/06
9/27/06
9/26/06
9/26/06
9/26/06
9/26/06
9/26/06
9/25/06
9/25/06
9/25/06
9/25/06
9/25/06
9/24/06
9/24/06
9/23/06
9/23/06
9/22/06
9/22/06
9/22/06
9/22/06
9/22/06
9/21/06
9/21/06
9/21/06
9/21/06
9/21/06
9/20/06
9/20/06
9/20/06
9/20/06
9/20/06
9/19/06
9/19/06
9/19/06
9/19/06
9/19/06
9/18/06
9/18/06
9/18/06
9/18/06
9/18/06
9/17/06
9/16/06
9/16/06
9/15/06
9/15/06
9/14/06
9/14/06
9/14/06
9/14/06
Weekend Assignment #129: It Just Doesn't Make Sense!
9/13/06
9/13/06
9/13/06
9/13/06
9/13/06
9/12/06
9/12/06
9/12/06
9/12/06
9/12/06
9/11/06
9/11/06
9/11/06
9/11/06
9/11/06
9/10/06
9/9/06
9/9/06
9/8/06
9/8/06
9/8/06
9/8/06
9/8/06
9/7/06
9/7/06
9/7/06
9/7/06
9/7/06
9/6/06
9/6/06
9/6/06
9/6/06
9/6/06
9/5/06
9/5/06
9/5/06
9/5/06
9/5/06
9/4/06
9/4/06
9/3/06
9/3/06
9/2/06
9/2/06
9/1/06
9/1/06
9/1/06
9/1/06
Thursday, September 14, 2006
8:22:00 AM EDT
Hearing Where Will I Be -- Emmylou Harris
Since I've recently become a man who, after a decade and a half of trying to establish a reputation as a writer has suddenly become famous as "that guy who tapes bacon to his cat on the Internet," this week's Weekend Assignment has an extra bit of resonance:
Weekend Assignment #129: Write about something that makes absolutely no sense to you, or that you find almost impossibly ironic. This covers a lot of ground so let me make it simpler: Write about something you just don't get. You've rolled it around in your brain, you've thought about it, and it just doesn't add up. Yeah. Tell us about that thing. From the enduring popularity of talentless celebrities to people who put mayonnaise on their french fries (yes, I'm looking at you, Belgium), there's got to be something out there that makes you go, "huh?" Or, for the kids, something that makes you go "WTF?"
Extra Credit: There's a song playing in your head right now. Tell us what it is.
Okay, this is something that's bothered me ever since the stuff came out: Shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle. Look, it's not supposed to be that way. Shampoo cleans your hair by removing stuff from it; conditioner softens your hair by adding things to it. These two states are in total opposition. That's why you shampoo first, and put the conditioner in second. So they don't cancel each other out.
Put shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle, and there ought to be a mighty battle as the forces of hydrophilic grease-cutting and the forces of gentle hair-waxing clash, both philosophically and chemically; if the bottle containing the two doesn't actually explode in a terrifying exothermic reaction brought on by the matter and anti-matter of hair care products interfacing in a closed space, at they very least they should render each other inert, so that you end up simply placing neutral glop on your head and vigorously massaging it into your scalp. It won't do anything, but at least you're increasing the blood flow to your follicles.
And yet -- apparently shampoo and conditioner do co-exist, if not peacefully then in a state of wary-but-persistant détente, all in one bottle. Chemically speaking, it's something of a minormiracle, as the consumer scientists will tell you. All I know is, it still strikes me as a fundamental disconnect in the ordering of the universe.
Personally, I resolved my issues with the problem by going bald. I don't know that the rest of you will see this as a viable solution, but it's worked for me.
Extra Credit: The song rattling around in my head is, naturally "Ironic" by Alanis Morrissette. Because, as everyone knows by now, none of the things she describes in that song as ironic are ironic in the least, they're just bummers. And that's ironic. Is that what she was going for? Possibly. But probably not.
Your turn: Write about something that just doesn't make any sense to you at all, and post it to your blog or journal. Then come back here to leave a link. I'm looking forward to finding out what drives you a little nuts.
Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | 
digg this
8:22:00 AM EDT
Hearing Where Will I Be -- Emmylou Harris
Weekend Assignment #129: It Just Doesn't Make Sense!
Since I've recently become a man who, after a decade and a half of trying to establish a reputation as a writer has suddenly become famous as "that guy who tapes bacon to his cat on the Internet," this week's Weekend Assignment has an extra bit of resonance:
Weekend Assignment #129: Write about something that makes absolutely no sense to you, or that you find almost impossibly ironic. This covers a lot of ground so let me make it simpler: Write about something you just don't get. You've rolled it around in your brain, you've thought about it, and it just doesn't add up. Yeah. Tell us about that thing. From the enduring popularity of talentless celebrities to people who put mayonnaise on their french fries (yes, I'm looking at you, Belgium), there's got to be something out there that makes you go, "huh?" Or, for the kids, something that makes you go "WTF?"
Extra Credit: There's a song playing in your head right now. Tell us what it is.
Okay, this is something that's bothered me ever since the stuff came out: Shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle. Look, it's not supposed to be that way. Shampoo cleans your hair by removing stuff from it; conditioner softens your hair by adding things to it. These two states are in total opposition. That's why you shampoo first, and put the conditioner in second. So they don't cancel each other out.
Put shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle, and there ought to be a mighty battle as the forces of hydrophilic grease-cutting and the forces of gentle hair-waxing clash, both philosophically and chemically; if the bottle containing the two doesn't actually explode in a terrifying exothermic reaction brought on by the matter and anti-matter of hair care products interfacing in a closed space, at they very least they should render each other inert, so that you end up simply placing neutral glop on your head and vigorously massaging it into your scalp. It won't do anything, but at least you're increasing the blood flow to your follicles.
And yet -- apparently shampoo and conditioner do co-exist, if not peacefully then in a state of wary-but-persistant détente, all in one bottle. Chemically speaking, it's something of a minormiracle, as the consumer scientists will tell you. All I know is, it still strikes me as a fundamental disconnect in the ordering of the universe.
Personally, I resolved my issues with the problem by going bald. I don't know that the rest of you will see this as a viable solution, but it's worked for me.
Extra Credit: The song rattling around in my head is, naturally "Ironic" by Alanis Morrissette. Because, as everyone knows by now, none of the things she describes in that song as ironic are ironic in the least, they're just bummers. And that's ironic. Is that what she was going for? Possibly. But probably not.
Your turn: Write about something that just doesn't make any sense to you at all, and post it to your blog or journal. Then come back here to leave a link. I'm looking forward to finding out what drives you a little nuts.
Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
This entry has 21 comments: (Add your own)
-
I'm starting a blog about ridiculous requests for personal information that doesn't make sense. Here's the link,
http://journals.aol.com/jjd5056192/standupforyourrights/ -
Ok...I'm in! I know, it's too serious, but I had to say something.
Jess
http://journals.aol.com/AurielAlata/CIWTheOtherInvisible#Entry927 -
It's a long one, John, but makes my point lol. CATHY
http://journals.aol.com/luddie343/DARETOTHINK/ -
On the other hand, I don't understand why they don't make the head-to-toe kids wash for ADULTS. I am totally lazy and would love just dealing with one bottle in the shower that washes everything. Imagine...no more soap, bath gel, shampoo, yadda. It's just one bottle that washes all. All the hair care companies would lose a fortune if it caught on.
ryanagi.blogspot.com
9/18/06 8:59 AM
sorry this is late, but typing w/an on-screen keyboard sucks.