5 Thoughts for July 21, 2015

1. A long time ago, I used to be into flax seed, back when it first was published as having omega oils and alpha-linolelic acid -- all good things for you. But that didn't last long, because the flavor is horrendous. Flax seed is also known as linseed oil, which, some of you may realize is at the core of true linoleum flooring. Come to think of it, it tasted much like how linoleum flooring smells, up close.
2. Do you remember when Gap turned out ads featuring swing music, and swing music became all the rage? Lately I've been listening to a derivative hybrid: Electro-Swing. Bart & Baker, specifically. Google Music is awesome.
3. I use my own customized ringtones on my phone (like this one). The first step is to use Audacity to find a section in a music file that works as a decent loop. Because music loops tend to be fairly long, you have to squeeze it down to roughly 15-30 seconds long; in Audacity you alter the tempo, as such, so that the pitch doesn't increase from the increased speed (making it sound like The Chipmunks). After exporting the audio to an MP3, I then upload it to Dropbox, then open the file within the Dropbox app on my phone. From there, I use OI File Manager to copy the file and paste it into the ringtone folder. Finally, I go into each contact and change the ringtone. It's not a walk in the park, obviously, but when you figure it all out, you'll never use stock ringtones, ever.
4. If you are worried about the Cascadian Fault triggering a massive earthquake along the west coast, rather than buying and storing tons of backpacking pouches or canned goods, why not just buy dehydrated / dried goods at the bulk section of your grocery store, supplemented by dried textured vegetable protein (looks like ground beef)? Don't forget the UV pen and batteries, if you don't have stored water.
5. I was holding off passing judgment on the Sandra Bland arrest until I learned more. After watching the dash cam video which was just made public, I suspect that the officer will be indicted on civil rights violations and the second responding officer will be reprimanded by her own chief. Here's the bottom line: The officer lied in the video, and was solely responsible for continuing to escalate the encounter.