Pareidolia is a type of illusion where you take a vague stimulus and perceive it as something clear and distinct. As an example, there was a Casino that paid $28,000 for half a grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it. Well, to be completely true it was only half a sandwich (apaprently the other half bore no discernable holy images), and there was a bite taken out of the half that was sold. Just imagine what the whole sandwich would have gone for!

Pareidolia is not restricted to visual phenomena; it also accounts for audio as well. This is what gives rise to the urban myths about “backward masking” on record albums that was so prevalent when I was younger. Michael Shermer of the Skeptic Society spoke on this subject in his TED talk on Why People Believe Weird Things.

This misperception can work for you as well - back in the long ago before time, when I was in high school our band covered REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”. Nowadays you can get these lyrics online (although I would wager that some of them may not be completely spot on) - however, back then we didn’t have this cool internet thingy. We had to figure out lyrics ourselves. Through many, many listenings singer extrordinaire Mark Tompkins managed to produce a handwritten sheet of the words. Well, not really the words - but more or less what he thought the words sounded like. To this day I can sing along to the song; to this day I probably only get 1 out of 10 words to match what the band wrote. I still have the original xeroxed lyrics sheet somewhere in a box; maybe some day I will scan it in and post it here. A bit of history from my misspent youth.

This is all leading up to a rather funny video I came across that really hammers the pattern-seeking point home. O Fortuna is a movement from the Carmina Burana Suite by the German composer Carl Orff. Trust me, you know this one from countless movies, tv shows, and advertisements. This actual lyrics sung by the choir are in Latin; this video comes up with English equivalents. If you listen to the piece without watching the video you probably won’t come up with many of the lyrics they use; however, when prompted by the text on the slides it will all fall into place. Either way, enjoy.

Ahoy, ye scurvy dogs! It’s September 19th, and you know what that means! Aye, once again it be talk like a pirate day - one o’ t’ few days where you can talk like a pirate and not have people look at you like you be completely insane. You can even be dressin’ up like a pirate or a crew o’ pirates. Arrggh, look at that handsome family on t’ port up thar. They be knowin’ how t’ have a good time.

For those o’ you a bit unsure o’ what t’ do and how t’ act today, I’ve included a primer below from YouTube t’ give you a brief language lesson - six minutes o’ this and you’ll be “Ahoy-in’” and “Avast-in’” with t’ best o’ Blackbeard’s crew.

If ye be sendin’ email today, consider runnin’ that email through t’ English-to-Pirate translator t’ give it that proper pirate flavor. Or just browse through t’ Talk Like A Pirate site for all sorts o’ piratical goodness that will give you t’ proper pirattitude t’ fully enjoy t’ day (and waste incredibly loads o’ time as well). For full enjoyment o’ the day, be sure t’ generate yourself a pirate name! Here be one site t’ do it for ye.

For those sin’le bucanneers out thar, I’ve included a list o’ t’ top 10 pickup lines for you t’ use this evenin’ when you go out wenchin’. You can also view these at t’ talk like a pirate day website

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?

9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?

8. Come on up and see me urchins.

7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.

6. I’d love to drop anchor in your lagoon.

5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?

4. How’d you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?

3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.

2. Well blow me down?

And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …

1. Prepare to be boarded.

Ahhh, yes. Those exciting little heat-sealed, plastic packages that can only be opened via use of a small chainsaw or some other large, sharp, dangerous cutting implement.

For the longest time I thought it was just me who was having problems with these packages, but reading this blog entry over on But She’s A Girl and it’s associated comments proved to me that there are others out there who find it a bit….well, ridiculous as well.

The really tedious thing is that you need to remove at least three seams from the pack before you can safely get the goods out. However, I suspect that I’m not the only person who howls with rage, frustration and pain on nearing the second corner, and—maddened by blood loss—attempts to tear the two halves apart with their bare hands, thus catapulting the delicate gadget within across the room to smash against the opposite wall.
[Via BSAG]

You know, with the dearth of choices available for President over the last few elections I think we are all looking for that dark horse third party candidate to step forward. Someone like Ross Perot, only not as insane or someone like Ralph Nader, except with perhaps more of a chance of winning. As much as I liked him, I thought Nader made Mondale and Dukakis look like they were world beaters! Face it, I didn’t even run and I tied him in the electoral college.

So what’s someone who’s fed up with the whole two party system to do in 2008? Why, you can give your vote - and your allegiance - to General Zod! The campaign site http://www.zod2008.com will provide you with all the information you need, including a Q&A and a Kids page.

Of course, if the idea of an extra-terrestrial as Supreme Overlord….er, President is a bit over the top for you then take a look at Christopher Walken’s campaign site at http://www.walken2008.com.

The sad part of the post is that some of the names that will start being thrown out for President in 2008 will almost be as humorous as the two above - but they will be serious.