Category: Observations

Soylent Green – It’s Not Just for Breakfast Any More

The other day someone asked me “Just what is soylent green made out of?”, and I realized that a whole generation is unfamiliar with the movie Soylent Green. The Soylent Green movie is based on the Soylent Green novel entitled “Make Room! Make Room!” The author of Soylent Green is Harry Harrison; the Soylent Green book was published in 1966 and Soylent Green the movie was released in 1973.

To those of you who got here by searching for the “Soilent Green movie” or “what book is Soilent Green from”, well, it’s actually “Soylent” Green – it stands for “soy” and “lentils”, the protein sources from which Soylent Green was (supposedly) derived. In fact, to quote that classicly famous line from the movie, Soylent Green is people.

Nutrition Information Soylent Green

Serving size 3 oz (85g)
Servings Per Container varies by body type
Ingredients Soylent Green is People


If you’re looking for a Soylent Green review or a Soylent Green summary, Amazon has more than 150 reviews of the movie Soylent Green .

The basic premise of the classicly dystopian Soylent Green, which takes place more than 30 years in the future (as of the book’s publication in 1966) is that extreme over-population has lead to only the wealthiest of elites having actual food (let alone fresh food); the unwashed masses are reduced to eating protein wafers manufactured by the Soylent Corporation. There are a few versions of the wafer, and Soylent Green is supposed to be the best.

Nowhere is this bleak future human condition more evident than in 1999 New York, where aged detective Andy Rusch is trying to solve a seemingly unimportant murder. However in the course of investigating the murder, and along with the assistance of his researcher, Sol Roth, Rusch stumbles across the dark secret behind the Soylent Green corporation. Soylent Green is not made of corn or lentils – Soylent Green is people.

Soylent Green is perhaps at its most poignant in the interplay between Rusch and Roth. Roth is considerably older than Rusch, and fondly – no, painfully nostalgically – remembers a world with real food, and gardens, and a technicolor life. Through his eyes Rusch becomes aware of this world – a world which otherwise only gets a passing nod of a tribute in the most ironic of ways (and which I’ll not spoil here).

Buy Soylent Green DVD

Buy Soylent Green novel Make Room! Make Room!

On Patriotism

Here are my thoughts on patriotism – in a time when people think that patriotism equals rabid war-mongering, or blindly following elected officials based on their idealogy. Patriotism != any of those things.

Here is what I have to say about that – some day I will work this into a speech – please feel free to quote me, but please attribute the quote to me:

“Administrations come and go, interpretations wax and wane, but it is to America herself, her promise – her ideals – her very foundation, that you pledge your patriotism.” – Anne P. Mitchell, Esq.

When Something is Copyright-Infected

I heard for the first time today the term – I kid you not – “copyright infected”.

That’s right.

Apparently now copyrighting and attempting to copyright-protect something you have created is so anathematic to some that they have perverted the term to “copyright infected”.

Because, you know, everything should be free and available for the taking, no matter how much blood, sweat, and tears you poured into it.

This was, of course, in the context of whether people should be allowed to download files that are unpermitted duplicates of works which are, you know, copyright protected.. er.. infected… er..something.

Now, the people who think that they are oh-so-clever and cute in coining this perverse term may not like my taking issue with it.

Too bad.

Because fortunately this blog has a First Amendment infection.

I Can’t Believe that “Ice Road Truckers” Got Renewed

When I first heard about the show Ice Road Truckers I thought it was a joke. I mean, c’mon, an entire television show dedicated to people driving on ice??

Then, in moment of charitable suspension of disbelief, I allowed as to how perhaps it could make an interesting documentary. But, a full-on weekly television series? Give me a break.

Well, guess what. Ice Road Truckers has been renewed!

My gawd, people, don’t you have anything better to do?

It not, then let me suggest that you add to your watching line-up:

The Episiotomy Channel
Paint Drying Weekly
Old Win XP Installation Workshop

The Clean Escape – The Most Unsanitary Way to Open a Bathroom Door

In a Whole Foods, of all places, I encountered the most dunder- headed, unsanitary device ever contrived as a way to make opening a bathroom door ‘more sanitary’.

Let me introduce you to the “Clean Escape” foot-operated bathroom door opener.

The idea is to keep you from touching that icky, dirty, germ-infested, disease-bearing door handle when exiting the bathroom.

Instead, as you can see, there is a latch at the bottom of the door – the idea is that you put your foot under it, and press up on the bottom of the device with the top of your foot.

You know, with the part of your foot that, when you’re a man standing and peeing, all the urine droplets land on.

Because walking around with someone else’s urine on the top of your shoe is so sanitary.

Now, if you’re not convinced by that visual – just look at the cleanliness level of the door handle, as compared to the “Clean Escape”.

I think I’ll take my chances on Door Handle #1, Alex.

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The Goat Pez Dispenser

It’s no secret that dogs like to eat goat poop. There’s nothing wrong with it – it’s mostly just pulverized, digested hay, and hey, if you can drink cat poop coffee, there’s no reason that a dog can’t eat goat poop.

But it was very interesting to observe this today:

Goat comes up to near where there is a little bit of goat poop.

Dog sees poop, thinks “Yum!”, samples it, and confirms “Yum!!”

Then goat turns around, with dog watching, and lets out a load of fresh poop.

And, as our dog’s eyes got bigger and bigger I could swear I heard him say

“Wow! Pez dispenser!”