Anyone who's been following the story of President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, (shown in this article): How have you been able to follow this without having the phrase "Fading into Bolivian" cross your mind?
Also, in world news: Azerbaijan has a brand new dictator (TheDictatorship.com put the father in the field for one of their contests, and well, their bit about why he didn't run is kind of amusing. We need more dictators ending public appearances with satisfying BONK! noises. Haven't really had that since Chernenko.)
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
You know... you guys might actually be cursed...
I was all set to watch the Cubs-Marlins game, I had just laid out on the couch, and was all set to enjoy it. And then... the power went out. The storms that went through the area must have done a direct hit on the power lines or something. So there I was, unable to get any game. The radios I did have had battery backup, but I didn't have the right batteries. (doh) So, lacking everything but the emergency light from the next complex over, I decided to take a nap until the power came back on. About two hours later, I awoke to the sound of the Cubs being up 3-0. Then the roof immediately caved in. Even in my limited comprehension of the finer points of pitching, I could see Prior was laboring, and then all of the sudden, my mind flashed back to 1992 NLCS. And wouldn't you know it, another F'in Cabrera was involved. It was one of those slow motion accidents, but you could sense the fraught building. I would have called it, had I not still been half-asleep. The other part of this that totally threw me, was the sudden appearance of Baseball Primer legend Admiral Ackbar appearing in ads. In fact, yes, it's a trap. And finally, further channelling the Baseball Primer image, just before his second at bat, I thought of him as Mike F'in Mordecai.
Having seen the ads, I think I have to do it. Mostly because ESPN has had a history, through the This is Sportscenter franchise, of absolutely pitch perfect ads which always amuse, and still keep it fresh. So what happened with their ads for Cold Pizza? Here's four people you've never heard of, don't they make you want to watch? Thus far the ads have shown me nothing that wouldn't make me turn from the mothership for the rebroadcast of the 1am Sportscenter, were I so inclined to be up at 7am. What's really grinding on me is the ads are trying to tell me exactly how different this will be, when the ads are showing how exactly the same they will be to every other morning show that's failed. The closest analogy I can give for this feeling is the exact same feeling I had seeing the ads for the show MD's last year. That show had a quick end, and I suspect it will be the same here. Cold Pizza...fraught.
I was all set to watch the Cubs-Marlins game, I had just laid out on the couch, and was all set to enjoy it. And then... the power went out. The storms that went through the area must have done a direct hit on the power lines or something. So there I was, unable to get any game. The radios I did have had battery backup, but I didn't have the right batteries. (doh) So, lacking everything but the emergency light from the next complex over, I decided to take a nap until the power came back on. About two hours later, I awoke to the sound of the Cubs being up 3-0. Then the roof immediately caved in. Even in my limited comprehension of the finer points of pitching, I could see Prior was laboring, and then all of the sudden, my mind flashed back to 1992 NLCS. And wouldn't you know it, another F'in Cabrera was involved. It was one of those slow motion accidents, but you could sense the fraught building. I would have called it, had I not still been half-asleep. The other part of this that totally threw me, was the sudden appearance of Baseball Primer legend Admiral Ackbar appearing in ads. In fact, yes, it's a trap. And finally, further channelling the Baseball Primer image, just before his second at bat, I thought of him as Mike F'in Mordecai.
Having seen the ads, I think I have to do it. Mostly because ESPN has had a history, through the This is Sportscenter franchise, of absolutely pitch perfect ads which always amuse, and still keep it fresh. So what happened with their ads for Cold Pizza? Here's four people you've never heard of, don't they make you want to watch? Thus far the ads have shown me nothing that wouldn't make me turn from the mothership for the rebroadcast of the 1am Sportscenter, were I so inclined to be up at 7am. What's really grinding on me is the ads are trying to tell me exactly how different this will be, when the ads are showing how exactly the same they will be to every other morning show that's failed. The closest analogy I can give for this feeling is the exact same feeling I had seeing the ads for the show MD's last year. That show had a quick end, and I suspect it will be the same here. Cold Pizza...fraught.
While looking at CNN.com during lunch today, I ran across the following two article titles back to back, having previously read the bit about China's space launch.
• Asian elephants losing battle for space
• Meet China's Ming Dynasty astronaut
The image playing in my head is of Asian elephants trumpeting "Failure is not an option", while an astronaut made of porcelain looks on...
• Asian elephants losing battle for space
• Meet China's Ming Dynasty astronaut
The image playing in my head is of Asian elephants trumpeting "Failure is not an option", while an astronaut made of porcelain looks on...
Day 15.
15A. The Constants and Equations Page
15B. Ballparks.com
15C. Ethnologue database
15D. AllAfrica
15E. Monarchs of Britain
15A. The Constants and Equations Page
15B. Ballparks.com
15C. Ethnologue database
15D. AllAfrica
15E. Monarchs of Britain
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Day 14.
14A. Biographical Dictionary (excellent props to my old teammate, Eric Tentarelli, for compiling this)
14B. The Smoking Gun
14C. Hickok Sports History
14D. Webmuseum
14E. The Catholic Encyclopedia
14A. Biographical Dictionary (excellent props to my old teammate, Eric Tentarelli, for compiling this)
14B. The Smoking Gun
14C. Hickok Sports History
14D. Webmuseum
14E. The Catholic Encyclopedia
Monday, October 13, 2003
Day 13.
13A. The Atomic Archive
13B. Epguides -- Television series episode guides
13C. Rulers
13D. Great Books
13E. The Particle Adventure
13A. The Atomic Archive
13B. Epguides -- Television series episode guides
13C. Rulers
13D. Great Books
13E. The Particle Adventure
Friday, October 10, 2003
Day 12.
12A. Encyclopedia of Mesoamerica
12B. National Inventors Hall of Fame
12C. Chronology of Russian History
12D. Historic Supreme Court Cases
12E. WebElements
12A. Encyclopedia of Mesoamerica
12B. National Inventors Hall of Fame
12C. Chronology of Russian History
12D. Historic Supreme Court Cases
12E. WebElements
Maybe I do scare the freshmen.
Case in point, during practice this evening, after a question on the information contained in this, I unleashed a fairly underwhelming impression of Al Michaels. Then again it's probably wasn't the impression as much as the bad taste of the shouted phrase: "DO YOU BELIEVE IN MASSACRES?.... YES!!!!"
(I guess it was either that or "featuring Kristi Yamaguchi, brought to you by Discover.")
Incidentally, nothing says canon skew like the google search where there are 3 hits, and two of them are in the Stanford Archive.
Case in point, during practice this evening, after a question on the information contained in this, I unleashed a fairly underwhelming impression of Al Michaels. Then again it's probably wasn't the impression as much as the bad taste of the shouted phrase: "DO YOU BELIEVE IN MASSACRES?.... YES!!!!"
(I guess it was either that or "featuring Kristi Yamaguchi, brought to you by Discover.")
Incidentally, nothing says canon skew like the google search where there are 3 hits, and two of them are in the Stanford Archive.
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Day 11.
11A. American Musical Theatre History
11B. Worldwide Holiday and Festival Site
11C. Lephalophodon
11D. IUPAC Glossary of Chemical Class Names
11E. Fodors (specifically the mini guides)
11A. American Musical Theatre History
11B. Worldwide Holiday and Festival Site
11C. Lephalophodon
11D. IUPAC Glossary of Chemical Class Names
11E. Fodors (specifically the mini guides)
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Okay, there was more than a little touch of surrealism going on last night seeing Arnold up there, but you could get through it with a mild suspension of disbelief. However the moment I simply had to turn it all off and go to bed because the weird turned pro was this: After Arnold left the stage one of the commentators was noting all of the people who weren't traditional Republicans who were up on stage, like "Rob Lowe and Gary Busey."
The Governor's with Busey.
Nothing I can do with that, folks. Reality just got dealt the ace comedy needed to complete the straight.
The Governor's with Busey.
Nothing I can do with that, folks. Reality just got dealt the ace comedy needed to complete the straight.
Day 10.
10A. Hyperhistory
10B. The Laws List
10C. Baseball Reference.com
10D. HNH-Naxos Classicals
10E. Library of Congress Country Studies
10A. Hyperhistory
10B. The Laws List
10C. Baseball Reference.com
10D. HNH-Naxos Classicals
10E. Library of Congress Country Studies
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
This article, kind of gets at something I was feeling following the Lit Nobel awarding (and commented on). There's not a lot of good candidates right now for the Peace Prize, and unlike the Lit Prize, there's at least some stable of favorites you can play with, for your betting pleasure...
For those of you in California right now, have fun. I'll point out a few articles on the guy who's ultimately responsible for this: Hiram Johnson. 1, 2, 3
For those of you in California right now, have fun. I'll point out a few articles on the guy who's ultimately responsible for this: Hiram Johnson. 1, 2, 3
Day 9.
9A. Physics News Update
9B. The HistoryNet (was previously an archive of several magazines)
9C. Roll Call
9D. Cracksmoker.com (Not only good for finding out all about the intersection of crime and sports, it tests your nanny software!)
9E. NYCSubway.org (Mostly as it has maps and info on subways and rail in other cities.)
9A. Physics News Update
9B. The HistoryNet (was previously an archive of several magazines)
9C. Roll Call
9D. Cracksmoker.com (Not only good for finding out all about the intersection of crime and sports, it tests your nanny software!)
9E. NYCSubway.org (Mostly as it has maps and info on subways and rail in other cities.)
Monday, October 06, 2003
Friday, October 03, 2003
It's not "unearthly glow day" is it? I saw these two articles within 15 minutes of each other, and have to wonder.
the setup
the punch line
the setup
the punch line
The Nobel for Literature was announced early, spoiling my chances to get a pool together. I remind everyone that knowing your Nobels every year is usually worth around 100 points a year.
Many times I have seen versions of the babelfish hall of mirrors, I mention this one (found via J-Walk) only because I actually succumbed to the urge to use it on a couple of my posts. Some paragraphs become even more pathologically random. To wit:
During him it offers in the Near west, people decide its site of the term in Wisconsin. The citizen of the circumstance of vivid the end to select Évidemment obstructs it not here it express, but esteem cheese one. The cow never has "that of the most luminous Vista flied in left I? It had no. of idea!" The data of course, I know the free rule in, of which what would appreciate.
The herring of the changes of the cramp smooth-man-communicates regularly to professor of the university of the university in the man of the grammar, a super hero ignited, to that the defective negation and the hostile double raised more crossing to the preliminary standard to the relative of the battle, not like her everything except the effect, Reime and a complete knowledge of the English applications.
I just don't want to know how exactly a herring smooth-man-communicates, do I?
I just love the engineering solution described here. Something very refreshing about the notion to trade small-scale efficiency for large-scale reproducibility, for a net win. It's one of those things that may get taught in school, but it's always glossed over, and it never sticks with people. Nice to see it did stick here.
Many times I have seen versions of the babelfish hall of mirrors, I mention this one (found via J-Walk) only because I actually succumbed to the urge to use it on a couple of my posts. Some paragraphs become even more pathologically random. To wit:
During him it offers in the Near west, people decide its site of the term in Wisconsin. The citizen of the circumstance of vivid the end to select Évidemment obstructs it not here it express, but esteem cheese one. The cow never has "that of the most luminous Vista flied in left I? It had no. of idea!" The data of course, I know the free rule in, of which what would appreciate.
The herring of the changes of the cramp smooth-man-communicates regularly to professor of the university of the university in the man of the grammar, a super hero ignited, to that the defective negation and the hostile double raised more crossing to the preliminary standard to the relative of the battle, not like her everything except the effect, Reime and a complete knowledge of the English applications.
I just don't want to know how exactly a herring smooth-man-communicates, do I?
I just love the engineering solution described here. Something very refreshing about the notion to trade small-scale efficiency for large-scale reproducibility, for a net win. It's one of those things that may get taught in school, but it's always glossed over, and it never sticks with people. Nice to see it did stick here.
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Day 6.
6A. ArtLex
6B. The Victorian Web
6C. How Stuff Works
6D. Congressional Biography Guide
6E. Flags of the World
6A. ArtLex
6B. The Victorian Web
6C. How Stuff Works
6D. Congressional Biography Guide
6E. Flags of the World
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Correcting a common misconception among freshmen: I do not know everything. Among the things I do not or did not know:
1. Kendal Mintcake is not merely a character in the Young Ones University Challenge episode.
2. That there's a difference between Morse Code and International Morse Code.
3. I don't know what the unknowns are on this project. If I knew what the unknowns were, they wouldn't be unknowns now, would they?
UPDATE: Wisconsin has chosen (well, the governor has.)
Finally, having heard this bit while sitting in the drive-thru lane at lunch today, I really think one person could pick up a nice thesis comparing and contrasting the work of MF Doom (it's in the middle there), with that of Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa.
1. Kendal Mintcake is not merely a character in the Young Ones University Challenge episode.
2. That there's a difference between Morse Code and International Morse Code.
3. I don't know what the unknowns are on this project. If I knew what the unknowns were, they wouldn't be unknowns now, would they?
UPDATE: Wisconsin has chosen (well, the governor has.)
Finally, having heard this bit while sitting in the drive-thru lane at lunch today, I really think one person could pick up a nice thesis comparing and contrasting the work of MF Doom (it's in the middle there), with that of Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa.
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