so it finally happened…
Oh, them former Beatles
To those of you who were chagrined by my purchase (from iTunes) and championing of Paul and Linda McCartney’s “Smile Away” the other day, I offer this tidbit: I just used iTunes credits to add “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” (from Live Peace in Toronto 1969) and “Gimme Some Truth” (from Imagine). (And yes, YO can be heard gobbling in the background of the former, an effective sound, to be sure, but nothing like Robin Gibb’s quacking.)
Progressive
and proud of it.
Surfer Stuns Physicists
39-year-old Garrett Lisi, reported to be an impoverished surfer, has stunned much of the scientific community with a new unifying theory that is reportedly a model of simplicity. What are the chances Lisi’s theory will gain broad acceptance? Lisi has drawn up a new theory of the universe, seen by some as the Holy Grail of physics, which is receiving rave reviews from fellow scientists. Lisi, has a PhD but no university affiliation and spends most of the year surfing in Hawaii, where he has also been a hiking guide and bridge builder, sleeping in a jungle yurt.
men who look like old lesbians
November elimae
The November issue of elimae is now posted. Enjoy.
Mark Curran
I can’t tell you the truth – only what I know.
“Stop Perpetuating the Myth”
A UFO seen over Vancouver Island in British Columbia in 1981 and made public by the British Ministry of Defence in 2006
On Monday, in a National Press Club forum in Washington, a group of former pilots who recounted seeing strange phenomena in the sky demanded that the US government reopen an investigation into UFOs. Several pilots offered dramatic accounts of witnessing UFOs – including a transparent flying disc and a triangular craft with mysterious markings – as they insisted their questions needed to be taken seriously more than 30 years after the US file was closed. “We want the US government to stop perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth, conventional terms,” said Fife Symington, former governor of Arizona and air force pilot who says he saw a UFO in 1997.
Coffee Cup Lids
Our collection of independently-patented drink-through plastic cup lids is the largest in the United States. We are ever-vigilant, and make new additions to our collection in the most obvious of places— in convenience stores, gas stations, diners, and delis. Ours is a collection of the ordinary, not the esoteric. It has no monetary value, but rather operates as some modest form of intellectual capital.
Die Harder, Merry Christmas!
Die Harder Merry Christmas:
a holiday card project by Mary Jeys
*images are not appearing, please visit my flickr photoset.
Decoding Whale Sounds
Australian scientists studying humpback whales sounds say they have begun to decode the whale’s mysterious communication system, identifying male pick-up lines and motherly warnings. Wops, thwops, grumbles and squeaks are part of the extensive whale repertoire recorded by scientists from the University of Queensland working on the Humpback Whale Acoustic Research Collaboration (HARC) project.
Speaking of War and Peace . . .
Robert Benchley, reviewing the New York City telephone directory:
But it is the opinion of the present reviewer that the weakness of plot is due to the great number of characters which clutter up the pages. The Russian school is responsible for this.
From “The Most Popular Book of the Month,” Of All Things (1921)
For Kevin
There Goes The Neighborhood
Sim Jae-duck has made his political career as South Korea’s “Mr. Toilet” by beautifying public restrooms. Now he’s got a home befitting his title: a toilet-shaped domicile complete with the latest in lavatory luxury.
War and Peace
I’ve never read Tolstoy’s masterpiece, so I’m trying the new Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. I’ve only read 60 pages so far and am not in awe yet. How many of you are more literate than I and have already read W&P?
This Morning
I glanced up from my coffee and Mia–aged 6–was sitting on the couch in the lotus position, chanting “omm.”
Odd Zinnia from my Garden
Mike Topp – Guardian Mention
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/11/the_story_as_oneliner.html
Games
Red Light, Green Light is one of the most difficult games to play. Variations include calling Yellow Light, which has no consequence. Another difficult game is bridge. There are over fifty cards and a good percentage of them have to be held in one hand so that your opponent doesn’t see them. A Japanese game called Go is another difficult game to play.
you might remember
i don’t think there will be much left after this winter,
more
Big Chunk of the Universe Missing–Again!
Not only has a large chunk of the universe thought to have been found in 2002 apparently gone missing again but it is taking some friends with it, according to new research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). The new calculations might leave the mass of the universe as much as ten to 20 percent lighter than previously calculated.
From the Comments of Remembery.org
Sheila Ryan:
When Minneapolitans cancel school on account of snow, you know it’s bad.
…for the next couple of years, on or around November 1 or 2, Lauren and I would celebrate our survival with a cake frosted with thick white icing sculpted to suggested snow drifts and decorated with tiny little toy cars dropped at random into the drifts.
For Alek
From our collection of Retablos and Ex Voto paintings:
Hatebook
Modelled on the Facebook concept, and with an almost identical layout, Hatebook offers a less friendly approach to the world of social networking. You can befriend “Other haters”, and your homepage alerts you when “Other fricking idiots” contact you. The site also provides you with an “Evil Map”, marking the locations of other users. The antithesis to Facebook’s emphasis on making friends, this is an open forum for abuse and aggression.
Canned Good
Look what Cindy brought home from the grocery store:
