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Saturday, September 06, 2003
The Telescope Ranking Matrix
Ed Ting: "I have been asked to do this many times over the years by readers, but have resisted due to the potential for misunderstanding and abuse of such a list. However, with such a huge array of products floating around out there, and the constant questions I get asking me to compare one brand to another, led me to believe that such a ranking system could be useful if used judiciously.
A word up front: This should not be your only source for decision making. Use it to get a rough idea of the telescope(s) that interest you, then consult the reviews (here and elsewhere.) This is a rough guide only. Use it as a jumping-off point for your own research, rather than any kind of final word on this topic. One thing I like to tell people is to mentally factor in a margin of error of plus or minus one category when viewing this. Prices given are approximate."
A word up front: This should not be your only source for decision making. Use it to get a rough idea of the telescope(s) that interest you, then consult the reviews (here and elsewhere.) This is a rough guide only. Use it as a jumping-off point for your own research, rather than any kind of final word on this topic. One thing I like to tell people is to mentally factor in a margin of error of plus or minus one category when viewing this. Prices given are approximate."
Who Are the Most Impressive Stars You Have Met?
Well, You'd Be Surprised, Says Ben Stein.
Not the Programs, But the Things That Plug Into the Wall
The German Propaganda Archive
I Know They Fought Each Other in a 1964 Movie, But . . .
. . . doesn't it seem like King Kong is a lot smaller than Godzilla?
This has been bothering me for 40 years. But I feel better now . . .
(via Geisha asobi blog)
This has been bothering me for 40 years. But I feel better now . . .
(via Geisha asobi blog)
Friday, September 05, 2003
The Golden Age of XM Satellite Radio
OTRCat: "One night while I was by myself, (My wife works the graveyard shift) there was nothing on that I wanted to listen to and nothing on TV. I was channel surfing on the radio and landed on an episode of I Was a Communist for the FBI. I thought the portrayal of how people truly acted during the "red scare" was hilarious. That show was followed by an episode of Richard Diamond. I loved the film noir feel of it. After that I was hooked. I really love the way that radio shows are a very personal experience because you have to use your imagination to "see" what's going on. I don't really watch TV anymore. I have become an old-time radio junky. I suppose there are worse things in the world I could be. My favorite shows are the detective shows and crime dramas, such as Richard Diamond, Pat Novak, Dragnet, Boston Blackie and of course, I was a Communist for the FBI. And my wife's favorite shows are Suspense, Abbott and Costello, X-1 and Phillip Marlowe. "
A New Old Way to Get Through Those Cosby Reruns on Nick at Nite
Jump The Shark: "During the original Bob Newhart Show (the Psychologist one), someone started a drinking game, in which you had to down a shot every time someone on the show said "Bob". I used to hate the Cosby Show until I began applying the same drinking game every time someone said "Hillman" on Cosby. I was usually on the floor before the first commercial break, and it became waaaay more palatable to sit through Bill & Co."
The Beloit College Mindset List
Across the nation, students are entering colleges and universities with their own perspectives on the times in which they live. Most of them were born in 1985.
For the sixth year, Beloit College has developed and distributed to the faculty and staff the “Beloit College Mindset List.” According to co-editor Tom McBride, Keefer Professor of the Humanities at the Wisconsin liberal arts college, the list helps to slow the rapid onset of “hardening of the references,” in the classroom.
For the sixth year, Beloit College has developed and distributed to the faculty and staff the “Beloit College Mindset List.” According to co-editor Tom McBride, Keefer Professor of the Humanities at the Wisconsin liberal arts college, the list helps to slow the rapid onset of “hardening of the references,” in the classroom.
The Nazi Who Won't Die: Leni Riefenstahl at 100
CounterPunch: "She lives today in a grand almost-glass house outside Munich, known colloquially as 'the house the Nuba built,'-- from the wealth produced by her books on peoples of Kordofan Province, Sudan. Photographs of these peoples have been exhibited and published widely, and Riefenstahl has been fêted and celebrated during the past two decades in Japan, the U.S., and Germany. She still travels, though somewhat inhibited by a back injury from scuba diving (and undoubtedly exacerbated by a helicopter crash in the Sudan in 2000, while attempting to visit 'her' Nuba once again). She most commonly appears publicly in angelic white stretch pants with stirrups, matching fuzzy sweater and fur-tipped low boots. 1950's après ski."
Another year has since passed, so make that 101.
Another year has since passed, so make that 101.
Football's Wrong Way Run
Rose Bowl, New Year's Day, 1929: Sometimes being in the wrong place at the right time works out well too!
Thursday, September 04, 2003
Why Fizzies Have Been Discontinued Once Again
A comprehensive taste test: "If you would like to have the taste of cough syrup in a beverage, then this beverage is for you. This stuff was just a little too weird for us. The grape flavoring in this beverage tablet is just not too good. This beverage will make you sick. Highly inferior."
Only a Few Defended the Teacher
CFAC: "Two things will, no doubt, dumbfound historians when they come to look back on the Canada of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. One is the fact that we very gradually converted the country into the most authoritarian state in the western world. The other is that so few Canadians objected to this when it was happening. One instance that may intrigue them, for example, is the appalling case of Chris Kempling - appalling, anyway, to Kempling. Nobody else seems much interested in it."
More Online Stores to Get Candy You Remember As a Kid
Fried Bologna Sandwiches
This is for people who think a regular bologna sandwich is just too healthy...
1 or 2 slices of bologna
2 slices white bread
1 slice cheese
1 TB oil/Crisco/lard
ketchup
salt/pepper
Fry up the bologna in the oil. Add salt, pepper, and any other spice you wish. While still in the frying pan, add cheese. Allow cheese to melt. Put ketchup on bread, put bologna on bread, enjoy! Good with beer and potato chips.
Yes, you guessed it. It's another award-winning White Trash Recipe
1 or 2 slices of bologna
2 slices white bread
1 slice cheese
1 TB oil/Crisco/lard
ketchup
salt/pepper
Fry up the bologna in the oil. Add salt, pepper, and any other spice you wish. While still in the frying pan, add cheese. Allow cheese to melt. Put ketchup on bread, put bologna on bread, enjoy! Good with beer and potato chips.
Yes, you guessed it. It's another award-winning White Trash Recipe
Stalked by a Public Television Station...
tiny pineapple: "KUED is the PBS affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah. Like all good bleeding-heart moderates, I have been a contributor to KUED for quite some time. In the past, I have only been able to pledge the basic membership amount of $36/year. But this last year I was flush with cash and bonhomie when the pledge breaks rolled around so, in a fit of cultural elitism, I pledged $13/month, for a total of $156/year. This was an astounding amount for me, and it represented a significant sacrifice, but I thought that it was worth my support.
And then I realized that I had awakened a deadbeat uncle.
You know what I'm talking about. Most families have one. That deadbeat uncle who's never been able to support himself. The one who's always in need of some sort of financial fix. And if you give the deadbeat uncle money, you're done for. Because no matter how much you give the deadbeat uncle, it's never enough. In fact, it's better not to give the deadbeat uncle anything, because once he smells cash he'll never stop hounding you for more."
And then I realized that I had awakened a deadbeat uncle.
You know what I'm talking about. Most families have one. That deadbeat uncle who's never been able to support himself. The one who's always in need of some sort of financial fix. And if you give the deadbeat uncle money, you're done for. Because no matter how much you give the deadbeat uncle, it's never enough. In fact, it's better not to give the deadbeat uncle anything, because once he smells cash he'll never stop hounding you for more."
Wednesday, September 03, 2003
I Want My Maypo!
And Nehi Grape, Bosco Chocolate Syrup, Pennsylvania Dutch Shoofly Pie Mix, Sassafras Tea, Uneeda Biscuits, and more are at The Hard-to-Find Grocer.
Just Plain American
Buzzmachine: "I think it's time to take some pride in what we are: Just plain American. When the Census man came calling, I refused to give myself ethnic and racial attributes. I'm just plan American. It's the melting pot, baby. This was supposed to be the American ideal, wasn't it? We're all created equal, remember?
Death to the hyphen."
Yet Bush-hater Anil Dash sees this as some sort of "White Man's Resentment". So out of touch . . .
Death to the hyphen."
Yet Bush-hater Anil Dash sees this as some sort of "White Man's Resentment". So out of touch . . .
And Finally, Some Knee Slapping Cryptosporidium Humor
Milwaukee's water supply became infected with cryptosporidium in early 1993, shortly after the arrest of Milwaukee's famous cannibal, Jeffrey Dahmer, in 1991. Which led to a joke that Milwaukee was a place where you could eat the people, but couldn't drink the water.
And For the Kids: The Story of Captain Crypto
Epidemic!: The World Of Infectious Disease: "Ever wonder what life would be like if you were a disease-causing microorganism? Or wonder how you can catch a disease from another human being or animal without being anywhere near them? Ride along with Cramp Crypto and his Cryptosporidium crew on a fun and informative journey as they eat, grow, divide, and spread from a cow to a human. How do they reach Lake Michigan? What will happen to them at the doctor's office? And what will be their final fate?"
From the City That Made Cryptosporidium Famous!
JS Online: When John Hermsen heard a village worker was coming to check the water meter in his Brown Deer home this past June, he had his wife ask whether "that funny sound of water running in the pipes was normal."
Turns out it wasn't. And repairs to the copper lateral pipe - which carries water from village water lines to individual homes - cost Hermsen $3,400.
Since late 1998, 31 such pipes have failed in Brown Deer, far more than expected in such a short time. Village officials have concluded that the pipes are being destroyed by a slimy green secretion from microbes that live in the water they buy from the City of Milwaukee.
Turns out it wasn't. And repairs to the copper lateral pipe - which carries water from village water lines to individual homes - cost Hermsen $3,400.
Since late 1998, 31 such pipes have failed in Brown Deer, far more than expected in such a short time. Village officials have concluded that the pipes are being destroyed by a slimy green secretion from microbes that live in the water they buy from the City of Milwaukee.
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Slideshows
JS Online. What a great group to have in town, it was a lot of fun! Be sure to look at The Parade from Above slideshow. Unbelievable.
Don't Be Disappointed, Order Now: The 2004 Anna Kournikova Calendar
Things You Never Knew Existed: "The subject of an estimated 18,000 websites, Anna is the most sought-after sports figure on the Internet. Our exciting 16 month calendar provides an intimate look at this talented Russian tennis star turned model. Featuring one 12' x 12' photo for each month of 2004. "
Mow Your Own Damn Lawns
Rich Lowry: "It is odd that liberals would fervently support a government program to suppress the wages of low-income Americans, especially minorities. But they do. The program is called high-level immigration.
The latest evidence that untrammeled immigration into America, both legal and illegal, harms the economic interests of low-income workers comes from a report by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. It found that natives and established immigrants in the United States earn 11-percent less when they work with new Hispanic immigrants. Minority workers are especially hard hit — they earn an average of 14 percent less. The more new immigrants there are, the less the other workers make.
Thus, high-level immigration is further laid bare as one of the great corporate-welfare programs of all time. Immigration gives employers a ready source of cheap labor, reduces the bargaining power of native-born workers and weakens the clout of unions. It imposes costs on taxpayers, so all of us subsidize employers' cheap workers."
The latest evidence that untrammeled immigration into America, both legal and illegal, harms the economic interests of low-income workers comes from a report by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. It found that natives and established immigrants in the United States earn 11-percent less when they work with new Hispanic immigrants. Minority workers are especially hard hit — they earn an average of 14 percent less. The more new immigrants there are, the less the other workers make.
Thus, high-level immigration is further laid bare as one of the great corporate-welfare programs of all time. Immigration gives employers a ready source of cheap labor, reduces the bargaining power of native-born workers and weakens the clout of unions. It imposes costs on taxpayers, so all of us subsidize employers' cheap workers."
The Nuclear Power Plant Simulator for the Pocket PC!
Flash Nuclear Power Plant: "It's all there: Control rods, emergency coolant, primary coolant, secondary coolant, turbine, steam generator, cooling tower. This is exactly like the full size version below, but very portable. Now you can practice generating electricity from atomic fission anywhere. Anytime."
Where was this when I needed it? It took me four months to qualify as a nuclear reactor operator, and only an hour and a half to get myself disqualified. I really could have used this to practice. D'oh!
Where was this when I needed it? It took me four months to qualify as a nuclear reactor operator, and only an hour and a half to get myself disqualified. I really could have used this to practice. D'oh!
Monday, September 01, 2003
See The USA in Your Chevrolet!
Cars and Enemies": "But even if we do all the things that can be done to limit the social costs of cars, the campaign against them will not stop. It will not stop because so many of the critics dislike everything the car stands for and everything that society constructs to serve the needs of its occupants. "
Dutch Turn Their Backs On Tolerance
AMSTERDAM (Reuters): " Those who visit Amsterdam this summer, watching tourists patrolling the infamous Red Light district in search of sex and drugs, might not notice how the vaunted Dutch tolerance is wearing thin.
The Dutch, complaining that their culture of 'looking the other way' has created a free-for-all, want to turn the clock back.
The toughest stance has been taken by Rotterdam, traditionally regarded as the working man's city as opposed to Amsterdam, home of the cultural elite.
And behind the calls for more law and order is a growing tendency to blame crime on ethnic minorities.
Just a few years ago, the police refused to register the ethnic origins of criminal suspects. But after a series of attacks in which black youths killed white people the mayors of several Dutch cities have started to single out specific groups from North Africa and the Caribbean."
The Dutch, complaining that their culture of 'looking the other way' has created a free-for-all, want to turn the clock back.
The toughest stance has been taken by Rotterdam, traditionally regarded as the working man's city as opposed to Amsterdam, home of the cultural elite.
And behind the calls for more law and order is a growing tendency to blame crime on ethnic minorities.
Just a few years ago, the police refused to register the ethnic origins of criminal suspects. But after a series of attacks in which black youths killed white people the mayors of several Dutch cities have started to single out specific groups from North Africa and the Caribbean."
Portable Car Heater
Things You Never Knew Existed: "Powerful compact heater plugs into your car's lighter socket and mounts on dash, rear deck or rests on broad, adjustable 6' base. Twelve-foot cord lets you put it almost anywhere. High quality heater with super-quiet fan has air vents top and bottom for better air circulation, automatic temperature control for greater safety and reliability, and fused cord to prevent overheating."
Hey, I Was Just Glad to Help Out!
Blog for America: "Governor Dean was in the office today, and called 4 additional supporters who had contributed over the Internet yesterday. Tom McMahon snapped this photo of Howard Dean here at HQ, speaking on the telephone with Heidi D. Lipscomb of New London, North Carolina." ;-)
Some Common Sense About Enron
Ann Coulter: "The only beef Enron employees have with top management is that management did not inform employees of the collapse in time to allow them to get in on the swindle. If Enron executives had shouted, 'Head for the hills!' the employees might have had time to sucker other Americans into buying wildly overinflated Enron stock. Just because your boss is a criminal doesn't make you a hero.
The billions of dollars Enron employees 'lost' in paper profits they had gained only in the last few years. Between 1997 and 2000, Enron stock quadrupled in price, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up only a few percentage points. In 2000, Enron stock was trading at an astronomical 66 times recent earnings.
Until 10 minutes ago, people who made a quick buck in the stock market were dot-com millionaire yuppie scum. Now when the market collapses before they can cash out, they are 'the tale's most sympathetic characters, its victims.'
Compared to what the stock was worth in 1997, Enron employees lost an average of about $20,000 per employee in the largest company failure in U.S. history. I've lost more money on Social Security in that time, and no one's weeping for me. "
The billions of dollars Enron employees 'lost' in paper profits they had gained only in the last few years. Between 1997 and 2000, Enron stock quadrupled in price, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up only a few percentage points. In 2000, Enron stock was trading at an astronomical 66 times recent earnings.
Until 10 minutes ago, people who made a quick buck in the stock market were dot-com millionaire yuppie scum. Now when the market collapses before they can cash out, they are 'the tale's most sympathetic characters, its victims.'
Compared to what the stock was worth in 1997, Enron employees lost an average of about $20,000 per employee in the largest company failure in U.S. history. I've lost more money on Social Security in that time, and no one's weeping for me. "
Sunday, August 31, 2003
Passenger Tire Pressure Caps
Things You Never Knew Existed: "Unique tire valve caps with color-coded pressure indicator rings let you see when it's time to add air. Save gas, reduce tire wear and drive safer with your tires filled to the correct pressure. Simple to use. Just remove your present caps and replace with indicator caps. No more searching for tire gauges. One glance and you know whether you need air. Green means tire pressure is good, yellow means pressure is down at least 4 p.s.i., red means pressure is down at least 8 p.s.i. Studies show that 6 p.s.i. underinflation reduces tire life expectancy by 25% and gas mileage by 10% or more. Set of 4. For passenger cars (28-34 p.s.i.). "
Eliminate the Middleman, Eliminate the United Way
JS Online: "Across America, there has been a quiet revolution by charitable givers since the early 1990s. Some 5 million donors have stopped giving to United Way, according to a study by two national groups that analyze philanthropy. Even those who remain loyal are increasingly likely to split their gift between United Way and alternative charities outside the agency's umbrella.
Many of those donors still use the United Way as a conduit for their gift. But that role as a mere 'pass-through' agency dramatically differs from United Way's central mission of determining and funding the community's needs.
In Pittsburgh, more than half of the money collected last year was designated to specific charities, mostly groups outside the United Way umbrella.
In Cleveland, so much money was falling into the donor choice category that in 1998, United Way's worried leaders decided the agency would pocket any donor designation of less than $100 and require that half of any larger designation must go to the unrestricted United Way pot.
In Nashville, by 1996, about 65% of the money collected fell into the donor choice category, some going to agencies under the United Way umbrella, but much going to alternative agencies as well.
'Our core reason for being was disappearing,' said Mark Desmond, the group's executive director, noting that the situation has improved since then."
Many of those donors still use the United Way as a conduit for their gift. But that role as a mere 'pass-through' agency dramatically differs from United Way's central mission of determining and funding the community's needs.
In Pittsburgh, more than half of the money collected last year was designated to specific charities, mostly groups outside the United Way umbrella.
In Cleveland, so much money was falling into the donor choice category that in 1998, United Way's worried leaders decided the agency would pocket any donor designation of less than $100 and require that half of any larger designation must go to the unrestricted United Way pot.
In Nashville, by 1996, about 65% of the money collected fell into the donor choice category, some going to agencies under the United Way umbrella, but much going to alternative agencies as well.
'Our core reason for being was disappearing,' said Mark Desmond, the group's executive director, noting that the situation has improved since then."
A Recipe A Day Keeps the Doctor Away
World Wide Recipes: "Once you subscribe to World Wide Recipes you'll receive a free recipe every day, Monday through Friday. Every week's recipes are based around a theme, comprising a complete menu designed to provide a balanced and harmonious assortment of dishes made from fresh, healthful ingredients. Here's what you'll receive:
Monday - 'Starter' recipes include appetizers, canapés, and first courses.
Tuesday - 'Soups & Salads' range from simple to elegant.
Wednesday - 'Sides' include vegetable, rice, potato, and pasta dishes.
Thursday - 'Entrées' feature the main course of the week.
Friday - 'Desserts' with the emphasis on light and healthy."
(via the incomparable Bad Day Studio Links Page)
Monday - 'Starter' recipes include appetizers, canapés, and first courses.
Tuesday - 'Soups & Salads' range from simple to elegant.
Wednesday - 'Sides' include vegetable, rice, potato, and pasta dishes.
Thursday - 'Entrées' feature the main course of the week.
Friday - 'Desserts' with the emphasis on light and healthy."
(via the incomparable Bad Day Studio Links Page)
I'm Always Amazed at These Guys
Etched in Time: The Etch-A-Sketch Pop Art of George Vlosich III.
Fair and Balanced, But Only If You Agree With Us!
Howard Dean operative The Daily Kos way of dealing with political debate:
The reason? In a discussion of Janklow's traffic accident, I had the bad taste to bring up Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick. A point that The True Faith couldn't handle, evidently.
The reason? In a discussion of Janklow's traffic accident, I had the bad taste to bring up Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick. A point that The True Faith couldn't handle, evidently.
