Funniest Nine Seconds on the Internet
Watch it more than once. It gets funnier each time.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Thomas Edison baseball film
I've never seen a video of a baseball game this old. Too bad there isn't more than this short snippet. A baseball from 1898 can be seen here.
I've never seen a video of a baseball game this old. Too bad there isn't more than this short snippet. A baseball from 1898 can be seen here.
Financial industry is smoke and mirrors
You know, I have said before that the economy and finance is just a bunch of hooey and nobody, especially those jackasses on the cable news, know what the hell is going on. Jim sent me an email today with a link to this column by Garrison Keillor that sums my feelings up better than I ever could.
You know, I have said before that the economy and finance is just a bunch of hooey and nobody, especially those jackasses on the cable news, know what the hell is going on. Jim sent me an email today with a link to this column by Garrison Keillor that sums my feelings up better than I ever could.
No More Wal-Mart
I've been doing pretty good about not shopping at Wal-Mart. Now and then I'll backslide and go to one for socks and underwear. But, after reading this story I will never go to a Wal Mart again.
I've been doing pretty good about not shopping at Wal-Mart. Now and then I'll backslide and go to one for socks and underwear. But, after reading this story I will never go to a Wal Mart again.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Human Smoke
I just finished reading the most amazing book last night. It's called Human Smoke and it's by Nicholson Baker. The book is a series of paragraph to page-long vignettes about the lead up to and first couple years of World War II. Each tiny chapter covers a news story or diary entry and, at some point in the entry, the date will be given. It's written in a journalistic style with very little editorializing by the author. It is obvious, though, that the author's sympathies are with those who opposed the war rather than with those that worked to broaden the conflict.
I have seen at least one other review remark on the similarity between the beginnings of World War II and the current conflict in Iraq. I don't mean that there is any comparison between Hitler and Saddam although both of them were brutal mass murderers. The similarity that stands out in this book is when you compare the desire for war of Churchill and Roosevelt and George W. Bush and friends. In both instances the Western powers spoke of their desire for peace while rushing headlong into war. The similarity in the rhetoric will cause you to doubt your own existence.
What had always been impressed upon me was the inevitability of the Second World War. Hitler was bad and if it hadn't had been for Churchill and Roosevelt and the mighty sacrifices of the 'greatest generation' then we would all be speaking German right now. What Baker shows is the folly of that belief. There were plenty of opportunities to stop the war from spreading in 1940 and 1941. What is intriguing is that it may have been possible to avoid the ultimate horrors of the Holocaust if the goal of the allies was truly humanitarian and not on an aggressive war footing. Imagine that, lives saved by avoiding war.
The reviewer, Mark Kurlansky, sums it up better than I can: "It may be one of the most important books you will ever read. It could help the world to understand that there is no Just War, there is just war -- and that wars are not caused by isolationists and peaceniks but by the promoters of warfare."
I just finished reading the most amazing book last night. It's called Human Smoke and it's by Nicholson Baker. The book is a series of paragraph to page-long vignettes about the lead up to and first couple years of World War II. Each tiny chapter covers a news story or diary entry and, at some point in the entry, the date will be given. It's written in a journalistic style with very little editorializing by the author. It is obvious, though, that the author's sympathies are with those who opposed the war rather than with those that worked to broaden the conflict.
I have seen at least one other review remark on the similarity between the beginnings of World War II and the current conflict in Iraq. I don't mean that there is any comparison between Hitler and Saddam although both of them were brutal mass murderers. The similarity that stands out in this book is when you compare the desire for war of Churchill and Roosevelt and George W. Bush and friends. In both instances the Western powers spoke of their desire for peace while rushing headlong into war. The similarity in the rhetoric will cause you to doubt your own existence.
What had always been impressed upon me was the inevitability of the Second World War. Hitler was bad and if it hadn't had been for Churchill and Roosevelt and the mighty sacrifices of the 'greatest generation' then we would all be speaking German right now. What Baker shows is the folly of that belief. There were plenty of opportunities to stop the war from spreading in 1940 and 1941. What is intriguing is that it may have been possible to avoid the ultimate horrors of the Holocaust if the goal of the allies was truly humanitarian and not on an aggressive war footing. Imagine that, lives saved by avoiding war.
The reviewer, Mark Kurlansky, sums it up better than I can: "It may be one of the most important books you will ever read. It could help the world to understand that there is no Just War, there is just war -- and that wars are not caused by isolationists and peaceniks but by the promoters of warfare."
Monday, March 24, 2008
Do Not Reply
You know how some emails from businesses arrange it so you can't reply to their email by using the domain donotreply.com? Well, some guy bought that domain and now receives emails from yokels that still reply. You can read his comments and some of the emails here. He is not posting any personal information and ad money he receives is going to a charity. He appears to be using his powers for good.
You know how some emails from businesses arrange it so you can't reply to their email by using the domain donotreply.com? Well, some guy bought that domain and now receives emails from yokels that still reply. You can read his comments and some of the emails here. He is not posting any personal information and ad money he receives is going to a charity. He appears to be using his powers for good.
Young Johnny Bench
The Sports Illustrated Vault has gone live and it's very cool. You can view full issues of the magazine, advertisements and everything else, or you can read individual articles. For example there is a nice article on Johnny Bench from 1969 here. If you want to see the whole issue click where it says "view this issue" and it will open up in a PDF file.
The Sports Illustrated Vault has gone live and it's very cool. You can view full issues of the magazine, advertisements and everything else, or you can read individual articles. For example there is a nice article on Johnny Bench from 1969 here. If you want to see the whole issue click where it says "view this issue" and it will open up in a PDF file.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Another quote from Human Smoke by Nicholson Baker
"In Tokyo, the American ambassador to Japan heard something about a possible surprise attack. 'There is a lot of talk around town to the effect that the Japanese, in case of a break with the United States, are planning to go all out in a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor,' the ambassador, Joseph Grew, wrote in his diary. 'Of course I informed my government.' It was January 24, 1941."
Spoooooooky video
I know most of you don't believe in ghosts but watch this video below and you may start to have your doubts.
"In Tokyo, the American ambassador to Japan heard something about a possible surprise attack. 'There is a lot of talk around town to the effect that the Japanese, in case of a break with the United States, are planning to go all out in a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor,' the ambassador, Joseph Grew, wrote in his diary. 'Of course I informed my government.' It was January 24, 1941."
Spoooooooky video
I know most of you don't believe in ghosts but watch this video below and you may start to have your doubts.
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