Category Archives: random

Technology’s effects on our language

Posted on October 14, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

I was at the Wright Brothers National Memorial a few weeks ago and struck by the telegram that Orville Wright sent to his father announcing the success of the first machine powered human flights. The message was kept short, probably … Continue reading →

Posted in email, fun, im, instant messaging, random | 1 Comment

Chili’s directors don’t want their baby back ribs

Posted on September 10, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

It’s not unusual for corporate board members to get perks. Board members of Brinker International, which franchises Chili’s, Macaroni Grill, On the Border and Maggiano’s can eat for free at the company’s restaurants using a complimentary dining card. For some, … Continue reading →

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I’m a criminal, but you can’t prove I made a profit

Posted on September 9, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

Can you be convicted of money laundering if the government can’t prove you made a profit? That’s the question the Supreme Court faces in United States v. Santos (pdf) when it comes into session in October. Efrain Santos was convicted … Continue reading →

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Christmas in August at Costco

Posted on August 30, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

It’s not even Labor Day and my local Costco already has Christmas merchandise out, complete with “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” playing nearby. Only 116 shopping days left!

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The strategy of the Feud

Posted on August 26, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

One of my guilty pleasures is watching the Family Feud. Those who know the show can skip the rest of this paragraph. The Family Feud is an American TV show that pits two families (in teams of five) against each … Continue reading →

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Brazen highway robbery in Nebraska

Posted on August 22, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

You see a sign advertising gas at $3.09 a gallon. You pull in and fill up. After filling up, you realize that you were charged $3.59 a gallon for the same grade of gas. Bait and switch? Sounds like it. … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, fun, random | 1 Comment

Google’s $4.55 bag of cookies

Posted on August 11, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

Vending machine priced by grams of fat, Google, San Jose, California.jpg, originally uploaded by gruntzooki. I was visiting my friend Adam at Google yesterday and he pointed out a vending machine in Google’s Building 43. A vending machine on the … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, fun, google, random | 6 Comments

Video from MN-DOT of Interstate 35W bridge collapse

Posted on August 7, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

MN-DOT has finally released the video from last week’s collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River. The video appears to be from camera 628. Unfortunately, the camera was turned the other direction at the moment the bridge … Continue reading →

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Mmmm…. McCarrots and McMilk

Posted on August 7, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

The AP reports on a study of 63 poor children that found the kids preferred food in McDonald’s wrappers over identical unmarked food. The golden arches cast a golden halo over even healthy items such as carrots and milk. The … Continue reading →

Posted in random, statistics | 2 Comments

The Barry Bonds home run premium

Posted on August 3, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

Update 2: Bonds hit 756 on Aug. 7 off the Washington Nationals’ Mike Bacsik to right-center field. The ball was caught by a 22 year old from Queens, New York named Matt Murphy. He just walked up and bought a … Continue reading →

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