Show those alien blighters you’ll brook no impertinences – Dr. Grordbort’s Infallible Aether Oscillators provide the means.
This vital information was provided through the good graces of The LawDog Files.
Gad, what fun!
July 24th, 2007People do this willingly?
July 22nd, 2007I can’t think of what would make someone believe that this is a good idea. Then again, I’ve got no tattoos, no piercings, and not that many scars. However, even the though of being around someone who had this sort of thing done gets up there on my discomfort scale. I have to admit that bas-relief artwork is nothing I’ve ever thought of looking for in a girlfriend.
UPDATE: It has been suggested that I warn people more clearly that there are disturbing photographs, not for the squeamish, if you follow the above link. Consider yourself warned.
1001 Books You Have To Read Before You Die
July 22nd, 2007Well, you certainly don’t have to. I found the list here, and was surprised by how many of them I’ve actually read. It seems like a pretty personal list, in the sense that there are books I wouldn’t have put on the list, and other books I would have expected to be there. Then again, the list is promulgated by someone who goes by “booboo,” and not by a publisher’s organization or group of literature critics or professors.
I suspect that it’s actually a compendium of those things that “booboo” has read, because there is no apparent organization, nor does any entry have an actual reason stating why you should read that particular book, as opposed to another. I mean, Philip Roth’s The Breast is on the list, and I can’t think of a reason why, other than the possibility that Philip Roth is presumed to be so important that everyone should read every word he’s written. I mean, I’ve read the damn thing, and I don’t know why anyone should, unless it’s assigned as coursework.
I have similar problems with other entries, but I won’t go into them. I’m sure anyone reading the list will have their own reservations about the “Have To Read”-itness of various entries.
In any case, my annotated copy of the list is after the fold.
The hand is quicker than the eye
July 22nd, 2007This is a video of John Scarne performing card manipulations. Very impressive stuff. I wanted to embed the video, but it didn’t seem to want to be embedded.
I remember reading a book titled “How to Cheat at Cards” when I was in high school. I remember it as a book, but the only references to that title I find online are to a chapter of the book “Scarne on Cards” (which I own), and to that chapter’s reprinting as a magazine article in Life magazine in 1949.
I may be misremembering (it wouldn’t be the first time), but because Scarne made an effort to educate servicemen to the tricks employed by card sharps during World War II, and it was a military library I read it at, it’s possible that it was a pamphlet reprinting the chapter that was put out specifically for the military. I own a couple of LPs that were sold only through the military BX/PX system, so it’s not an unreasonable assumption.
Fun for a Friday
July 20th, 2007Just an assortment of amusing links:
Photos of LP cover art. Note that there’s a fair amount of nudity here from time to time. I’ve been going back through the earlier posts, and there have been a number of LPs I recognize, but I’ve seen none yet that I actually own. Then again, I’ve got about 300, and I think I remember a post where he said he has 10,000.
French phrases you won’t learn at school.
This band sounds sorta familiar, but there’s something about them …
I had a link to Skippy’s list on my old website, but it succumbed to link rot. This link is good.
Pimp My Rice Paddy. I’ve seen similar things done with flowers (including flower clocks), but nothing on this scale.
And, finally, perhaps you should save this link for later.
Tour time
July 16th, 2007You can get real-time updates on the Tour de France here. It’s an interesting use of Google Maps.
Want to learn?
July 16th, 2007If so, you may find this site useful. I own several of the videos they offer (in the music instruction and luthierie categories), but there are many more that I’d be interested in seeing.
Keep up with the neighbors
July 16th, 2007A little more ambitious than most
July 16th, 2007Should we call this Type 2 CRS?
July 16th, 2007We’ve raised a generation who can’t remember without assistance.
I’ve long been interested in memory improvement, and have acquired a number of books on memory improvement techniques. My favorite so far is this one. Still, I find it hard to remember something unless I have a specific need to do so (or enough interest to substitute for a need). I guess the point is that fewer people, particularly young ones, feel the need to remember anything their cellphone can remember for them.
Then again, isn’t that really the whole point behind organizers and planners?
Via Slashdot.