Tom McMahon

"PROTECTV is an innovative patented technology that allows individuals the choice to protect what they hear in the audio or see in the captioning of a television show or movie. It works through the captioning that runs through television programming, videos, and DVD's. PROTECTV works with both the audio as well as the closed captions that are available. Every time an offensive word is spoken it is compared to a dictionary of over 400 words and phrases and if the word or phrase matches, it is deleted from the soundtrack and captioning."  

The Top Ten Shocking Moments in NFL History: Number 3: Detroit Lions receiver Chuck Hughes dies of heart attack during game (Oct. 24, 1971)

The Lions trailed the Bears 28-23 late in the fourth quarter, and had the ball. With the Lions running a two-minute drill, wide receiver Chuck Hughes came into the game, and went deep over the middle on a play that ended with an incomplete pass intended for another receiver. As he headed back to the huddle, he collapsed. Bears middle linebacker Dick Butkus got to him first and alerted the Lions bench. Team doctor Richard Thompson came onto the field and tried to resuscitate Hughes, unsuccessfully. The game was finished in silence.

 

An "antagonym" is a single word with contradictory meanings:

Bull: A solemn edict or mandate vs. Nonsense or worthless information
Fix: to restore to function (fixing the refrigerator) vs. to make non-functional (fixing the dog)
Overlook: to pay attention to, to inspect ("We had time to overlook the contract.") vs. to ignore
(via gtexts) 

Human Events Online: "Does Ronald Reagan deserve this? Does Nancy, who has nursed her dying husband through a horribly difficult decade as he struggles in the final hours of his life, deserve what is being done to her? On November 16 and 18, CBS plans to air a four-hour mini-series, "The Reagans." It purports to be the drama of Reagan's rise to power and presidential years. It is naked brutal hatchet work, a smear of a good man by haters who fabricate and lie to paint Reagan as a religious bigot who thinks those dying of AIDS are getting what God intends for them, and says, numb and crumbling after the Marine barracks massacre in Beirut, "I am the anti-Christ."

There is no substantiation for any of this.

What Hollywood is about in "The Reagan's" is the trashing of his legacy, the demonizing of the man, and the destruction of his good name and image in the minds of the young, by using lies. For they could not do it with the truth. If this is not the politics of hate and the politics of personal destruction, what is? For its role in this cruel attack on a man they could not defeat, but who cannot now fight back, CBS is guilty of the premeditated assassination of the character of Ronald Reagan. A thoroughly rotten piece of business. "
 

Ole and Sven were talking one afternoon and Ole tells Sven, "You know,I tink I'm ready for a lil vacation. But dis year I vant to do sumting differ'nt. Da las' few years I tuk yer advise about vere to go. Tree years ago you sed I shud go to Hawaii, an' I did, an' Lena got pregnant. Da nex' year you sed to go to da Bahamas. Lena got pregnant agin. An' las year you tol' me to go to Tahiti; sure enough, Lena got pregnant agin!!"

Sven asks Ole, "Vhat are you gonna dew dis year dat's different?"

Ole says, "Vell, dis year I'm gonna bring Lena wid me..." 

Position by position from BaseballLibrary.com. And the second team too. Rod Carew?

And here's a recent entry about Moe Berg, the Jewish All-Star Catcher:

"Learning that Heisenberg was going to give a speech in neutral Switzerland, the OSS sent Moe Berg to Zurich with instructions to listen to the speech and if he heard anything that suggested Heisenberg was close to creating an atomic bomb, to shoot him, right there in the lecture hall. Berg was one of the most fascinating spies in history, a Princeton graduate and backup big-league baseball catcher in real life, depending on which of his lives you choose to consider the real one. In the event, he decided Heisenberg was not close to building a bomb and spared his life." 

An Irishman walks into a bar in Dublin, orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.

The bartender approaches and tells him, "You know, a pint goes flat after I draw, it. It would taste better if ya jus bought one at a time lad."

The Irishman replies, "Well, ya see, I have two brothers. One is in America, the utter in Australia, and I'm here in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised each utter that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I drinks one for each o' me brothers and one for me self, ya know a tradition."

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there. The Irishman becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way: He orders three pints and drinks them in turn.

One day, he comes in and orders two pints. All the other regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on yar grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on yar great loss." The Irishman looks confused for a moment, then a light dawns in his eye and he laughs.

"Oh, no. Everyone's fine, me brothers are fine" he explains, "It's just that I gave up drinking for Lent, but my brothers didn't." 

Eight years after NPR’s Nina Totenberg, on Inside Washington, wished death upon Senator Jesse Helms (“If there is retributive justice, he’ll get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it"), on the same show over the weekend she seemingly desired to hasten the death of Army General Jerry Boykin for having supposedly expressed the view that the war on terrorism “is a Christian crusade against Muslims.” Totenberg hatefully advocated: “I hope he’s not long for this world.”

And as taxpayers we are forced to pay for this hate speech. Lovely. 

According to various histories of Irish soda bread, originally the bread was prepared one of two ways: either baked over the dying embers of a fire in a pot oven, called a bastible, or fried on a cast-iron griddle. Enjoy this freshly fried, single-serving soda bread split lengthwise, open face, spread with homemade raspberry or strawberry jam. (via Linda Edmondson) 

White Trash Christmas, a Flash animation. Go ahead and view it before you're sick of Christmas. 

Michael Schiavo got the usual Larry King softballs. Here are the questions King should have asked:
(1) Why did Schiavo tell a medical malpractice jury in 1992 that Terri would live a normal life span?
(2) Why did Schiavo have a rehabilitation expert testify in front of the malpractice jury to present a detailed plan of therapy for Terri?
(3) Given that the jury awarded $750,000 to be used in part for Terri's therapy, why hasn't Schiavo provided any rehabilitation for her since 1991?
(4) Is it true that Terri's money has paid for attorneys to make her dead, instead of therapists to make her better?
(5) So how could Terri's father make any money off the case?

Every country has things that are totally mystifying to outsiders. Homecoming, the Grinch, the enduring appeal of Larry King, to name a few from over the pond. - Ben Hammersley

 

. . . My wife Nancy. Ellen and I will be busy baking a cake today! 

Chicago Tribune: "Surely, the notorious Cubs fan Steven Bartman wants to fade into anonymity. But that's not likely to happen. In fact, this Halloween, it looks as if there will be dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Steve Bartmans roaming the streets, wearing headphones, a Cubs cap and a sweatshirt for the Renegades traveling youth baseball team. Last week, the renegadesbaseball.com Web site promoted the sweatshirts ($35, plus $6 for shipping) from its home page, then stated: 'Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery. We will do our best to have all orders filled and shipped out in time for Halloween.'"

And I suppose it's just an inevitable sign of the times that right after the famous foul ball incident somebody went and registered the domain name stevebartman.com 

The script to the War of the Worlds radio broadcast.

The Secretary of the Interior, who sounded a lot like FDR, was played by Kenny Delmar, who on the Fred Allen Show went on to play Senator Claghorn, who in turn was the basis for the cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn. Which is probably only of interest to me. 

These puzzles have been adapted from various sources to be used with pupils who finish classwork early. Most of the questions were chosen with enthusiastic, bright 11 year olds in mind. Some of the puzzles are also appropriate for class work - an initial worked example on the board will help a lot. There are a few trick questions. Some questions can be quickly answered if you chance upon the right approach, but the 'long' solution isn't too arduous. Example: How can you measure out exactly 4 litres of water from a tap using a 3 litre and a 5 litre bucket? (via Tim McMahon) 

1972 Chevy Vega Die Cast Metal and Plastic Replica: "Searching for an answer to the growing number of small foreign imports, Chevy developed the sporty little Vega. Borrowing classic styling from the Camaro, powered by a lightweight aluminum engine, and built on a fully-automated assembly line, the Vega managed to beat the imports at their own game. Our die cast metal and plastic replica features opening hood with detailed engine, opening doors, detailed interior with folding seats, and moving steering wheel and wheels. 1:18 scale. 9.25" long."

Yeah, right. The Vega was a real piece of garbage. Why anyone would want a die cast model of one is beyond me. And why anyone would want to make a die cast model of one is really beyond me.  

"Hands down, the best and most comprehensive reggae Christmas collection ever assembled (if we do say so ourselves). Covering more than 30 years of music, from the ska era to the ’90s, it features both reggae’s superstars as well as the cooler “lesser” (relatively speaking) lights all paying homage to that special time of year. It’s jammin’!" 

TCS: "For an airline so bereft of frills that the check-in crew is also the flight crew, Ireland's Ryanair flies full, carrying tens of thousands of repeat customers who, thanks to rock bottom fares, can afford breaks in France three or four times a year. It's possible to fly Ryanair from London to Perpignan in the far south of France -- some 500 miles -- one way for around $45.

Tens of thousands of Brits and Irish have bought second homes in the poor but sunny and hot French region of Languedoc-Roussillon predicated on being able to afford Ryanair for vacations plus three or four long weekends a year. Ryanair's cheap fares, in fact, have made a considerable contribution to the economy of many French towns and cities." 

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.
2. "Vacation" means going up nort' to Crivitz for the weekend.
3. You measure distance in hours.
4. You know several people who have hit deer more than once.
5. You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again!
6. Your whole family wears green and gold to church on Sunday.
7. You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.
8. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.
9. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
10. You think of the major food groups as cheese, beer, fish, and venison.
11. You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them.
12. There are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at the Fleet Farm at any given time.
13. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
14. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
15. You refer to the Packers as "we,"
16. You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction
17. You can identify an Illinois accent.
18. You have no problem spelling Milwaukee.
19. You consider Madison exotic.
20. You don't have a coughing fit from one sip of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
21. Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a cow next to your blue spruce.
22. You were unaware there is a legal drinking age.
23. Down South to you means Chicago.
24. A brat is something you eat.
25. Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new machine shed.
26. You go out for a fish fry every Friday.
27. You know how to polka.
28. Your 4th of July Family Picnic was moved indoors due to frost.
29. You have more miles on your snowblower than your car.
30. You find 0 degrees "a little chilly."
31. You know what to do with a Blatz...
32. You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to all your Wisconsin Friends.
(via an old e-mail I got a while ago) 

"The Animal Rescue Site was founded to help feed and care for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the US every year. Since its launch in July of 2002, the site has established itself as a clear leader in online activism and a dynamic force in the effort to give all animals the happy, healthy lives they deserve. In The Animal Rescue Site's first year of operation, 22.9 million bowls of food were funded for animals in need. With the simple, daily click of the purple "Feed an Animal in Need" button, visitors fund bowls of food for formerly neglected or abused animals now living in shelters or sanctuaries. Visitors pay nothing. Site sponsors pay for all funding, which benefits two leading animal welfare charities: The Fund for Animals and North Shore Animal League America. " (via the very perky Becky Swan) 

 

"A modern update of an American icon, the always adored, Teddy Bear. Don't just give flowers or another Teddy Bear. Give the cutest plush Teddy Bear that also controls the television. Easily pre-programs to any TV in the house. Just touch the plush buttons on this Teddy Bear's feet for complete remote control. Every function is there from on/off power, channel changer, volume control and mute. We're pretty sure you've never had a teddy bear that controlled the TV. A remote control so cute you'll want to hug it or tickle it's toes to change the channel. Here's one remote control that'll never get lost in the sofa cushions or bed sheets either. And at a price that is less than most other comparably sized plush Teddy Bears." 

Complete instructions right here. Or just go and buy one at Amazon. 

The Gregorian calendar has 97 leap years every 400 years:

• Every year divisible by 4 is a leap year.


• However, every year divisible by 100 is not a leap year.


• However, every year divisible by 400 is a leap year after all.

So, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, and 2200 are not leap years. But 1600, 2000, and 2400 are leap years.

It has been suggested (by the astronomer John Herschel (1792-1871) among others) that a better approximation to the length of the tropical year would be 365 969/4000 days = 365.24225 days. This would dictate 969 leap years every 4000 years, rather than the 970 leap years mandated by the Gregorian calendar. This could be achieved by dropping one leap year from the Gregorian calendar every 4000 years, which would make years divisible by 4000 non-leap years. This rule has, however, not been officially adopted.  

The Dark Days of Winter: "The period between the first week in December and the first week in January could well be called the 'dark days' for the mid-northern latitudes. At latitude 40 degrees north, earliest sunset occurs around 8 December each year, and latest sunrise occurs around 5 January. The day with the least amount of daylight is the winter solstice, the first day of winter, around 21 December. Why are not all these dates the same? "

I then used this page and tried a number of cities in the United States (I excluded Alaska and Hawaii for this) to see where the earliest sunset might be. It looks like Bangor, Maine and Spokane, Washington share the honors, each with sunsets of around 3:55PM on December 10. While this has something to do with their being farther north, the big factor here is being in the far eastern part of their particular time zone. 

"Feral cats are cats which have "gone wild" and those born and raised in the wild. "Semi-ferals" are those which tolerate some human contact. Ferals often form colonies wherever there is shelter and a food supply e.g. farms, airbases, rubbish tips etc. Urban ferals congregate near dustbins, markets or where animal lovers provide food. They may perform a useful function by hunting rodents attracted to edible refuse.

Feral kittens are usually first noticed when they start romping away from the nest at 4 weeks old. The best time to catch them for taming is 5 - 8 weeks old when they are no longer dependent on their mother's milk. Though cute, a frightened feral kitten will defend itself vigourously if cornered so a trap or stout gloves (e.g. welder's gauntlets from DIY shops) are essential. Also make sure your Tetanus jabs are up to date. Experienced people liken handling an angry feral kitten to wrestling with a animated cactus." 

Reverse Color Playing Cards: Hearts and Diamonds are black, Spades and Clubs are red. 

Michael Medved: "Has Hollywood finally gone too far in its dark obsession with exploitative gore? Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, which opened to surprisingly strong business on Oct. 10, represents a new low in its jeering, pseudo-sophisticated celebration of meaningless brutality. Widely described as the bloodiest feature film ever released by a major studio (in this case, Disney's Miramax division), the movie stands out not because of the presence of graphic violence but due to the absence of anything else.

Kill Bill's most dangerous impact isn't the remote possibility that deranged moviegoers will imitate its bloody rampages, but rather that greedy filmmakers will imitate its soulless sadism. The movie represents another step in the desensitization process that erodes cultural standards and mocks our innate, healthy revulsion toward cruelty." 

Virtual Fireplace DVD: "Make a cozy virtual fireplace out of any TV set. You don’t have to tend it. You needn’t clean it. And you won’t break your back chopping wood. Just push the play button on your DVD player to capture the warmth of the holidays. Includes audio option of either Christmas music or crackling fire sounds. Enjoy it year-round."  

"Don't spend $10,000 to have a fireplace built in your bedroom. Our Country Hearth Electric Fireplace Heater looks and feels like the real thing. The look, feel and warmth of a potbelly fireplace stove - without the heft. Great for condos, bedrooms or dens. Works just like an electric space heater. All you have to do is plug it in. Place the Country Hearth Electric Fireplace Heater anywhere a real wood burning fireplace won't go. Everything down to the faux logs, flickering fire, real glass door and blast of real heat feels authentic. It even includes a remote control so you can turn it on or off and adjust the heat from the comfort of your bed or chair. Literally, nothing brings added warmth to a room like a fireplace. But what if you live in a home without a fireplace? There are few alternatives outside of having one built. Unfortunately, the expense of building a fireplace can be cost prohibitive. Worse yet you may live in a condo or townhouse where building a fireplace is not an option. Now you can have the warmth and look of a fireplace without the high cost. And you can place it anywhere you want. Finished with the look and feel of cast iron only, you need to know it's the real thing. Includes remote control." 

Just click on your favorite team's helmet, and Chunky Soup will donate a can of Campbell's Soup to food banks around the country. The top 5 teams with the number of votes for each team:

1. Green Bay Packers 37,890
2. Cleveland Browns 30,586
3. Kansas City Chiefs 10,414
4. Detroit Lions 9,006
5. Minnesota Vikings 8,679

(via Denise Petrovich) 

. . . you see this page. Heh.