Once every hour…

I can’t tell what day it is.

Other noteworthy activities include: procuring sandwich supplies, assembling sandwiches, and consuming sandwiches.

The internet’s foremost Bill Paxton/Bill Pullman identification tool.

Some advice to you trivia wanna-be’s: if you’re at the mall, stay away from The Disney Store at 1 and 5 p.m. when they do their trivia contests. Ken Jennings in the HOUUUUUUUSE!!!

As things got underway, I sized up the opposition. Pfft. Look at their big, big eyes. They actually think they might win!!!

Hopper is C, a grasshopper. NAILED IT!

Best part of going 10-for-10: rubbing it in to the runners-up.

“Trivia Master,” bitchez!

“Oh hey, just wonderin’ what you’re ‘busy’ doing…”

His close cousin must be dental floss…

Scientists say you need 3 high-fives a day to stay mentally balanced.

Public service message from the good people at the Doghouse Diaries:  Go to college.  Eat Ramen.  Play frisbee.

Edit:  Someone wrote in and brought to our attention that someone from reddit had posted an almost identical piece before ours: http://i.imgur.com/4Ei8Q.png –Wow. Not sure how you explain that wasn’t a copy but we salute you, redditor for beating us to the punch.

Last night, Will, Ray and Raf made a time machine and went 12 hours into the future so they could bring you today’s post.

I’ve started naming my toothpaste tubes.  The current one is named battery acid.  I named it after the label on the front.

Raf sounds like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UApyd20yK5s
Will sounds like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjimVz5pNQ
and Ray sounds like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-EFY90nOss

(Slogan cred: Jenna)

There’s a lot of discussion of radiation from the Fukushima plants, along with comparisons to Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Radiation levels are often described as “<X> times the normal level” or “<Y>% over the legal limit,” which can be pretty confusing.

Ellen, a friend of mine who’s a student at Reed and Senior Reactor Operator at the Reed Research Reactor, has been spending the last few days answering questions about radiation dosage virtually nonstop (I’ve actually seen her interrupt them with “brb, reactor”). She suggested a chart might help put different amounts of radiation into perspective, and so with her help, I put one together. She also made one of her own; it has fewer colors, but contains more information about what radiation exposure consists of and how it affects the body.

I’m not an expert in radiation and I’m sure I’ve got a lot of mistakes in here, but there’s so much wild misinformation out there that I figured a broad comparison of different types of dosages might be good anyway. I don’t include too much about the Fukushima reactor because the situation seems to be changing by the hour, but I hope the chart provides some helpful context.

(Click to view full)

Note that there are different types of ionizing radiation; the “sievert” unit quantifies the degree to which each type (gamma rays, alpha particles, etc) affects the body. You can learn more from my sources list. If you’re looking for expert updates on the nuclear situation, try the MIT NSE Hub. Ellen’s page on radiation is here.

Lastly, remember that while there’s a lot of focus on possible worst-case scenarios involving the nuclear plants, the tsunami was an actual disaster that’s already killed thousands. Hundreds of thousands more, including my best friend from college, are in shelters with limited access to basic supplies and almost no ability to contact the outside world. If you’re not sure how to help, Google’s Japan Crisis Resource page is a good place to start.

Edit: For people who asked about Japanese translations or other types of reprinting: you may republish this image anywhere without any sort of restriction; I place it in the public domain. I just suggest that you make sure to include a clear translation of the disclaimer that the author is not an expert, and that anyone potentially affected by Fukushima should always defer to the directives of regional health authorities.

Running late to that appointment, you bound up the lobby stairs and over to the elevator bank. You see the door start to slide shut. But wait. A hand reaches out to stop the momentum, enabling you to enter the elevator. A stranger has shaved moments out of their day–moments perhaps better spent in myriad ways–to wait while you approach and enter the elevator. Win! Nothing makes you feel closer to your fellow man than this act of kindness.

From the Abstract City archive: An artist's attempt to create a universe of cookies for the holidays.

Life without sliced bread means life without sandwiches…

Seeking further details on these important informations.

Ray can be neutralized with any electronic gadget.

Raf can be neutralized by threatening to call his wife.

And Will can be neutralized with a cupcake.

From the Abstract City archive: One man's unhappy encounters with the laws of physics.

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