I've been thrown into the Wikipedia vortex by the news from Egypt, from Mobarak to Sadat to Nassar to Pan-Arabism to where Arabic is spoken to the Arab Revolt to various Egyptian engineering projects to the Hashimite dynasty, then the various Faisals, then to Ibn Saud, who I just really don't like one little bit, to, finally, wondering about countries named after people.
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(1)
01:09:20 PM,
Friday 11 February 2011
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I had no idea the suez canal was closed for 8 years.
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(9)
12:46:17 PM,
Friday 11 February 2011
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Starting today, I'm forwarding my office phone to my cellphone. With all the snow and other unpredictable needs to work from home, everyone has started asking me which number to call, so I've given in.
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05:52:20 PM,
Tuesday 8 February 2011
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The widespread belief in human-induced climate change in the 19th century: rain follows the plow. I don't mean this as climate skepticism or whatever. It's just a neat bit of wishful thinking and humbug of which I was previously unaware.
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10:21:18 PM,
Monday 7 February 2011
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"Rupert Bingham, did you say?" said Freddie with sudden animation. "I'll tell you something about Rupert Bingham. he has a dog named Bottles who has been fed from early youth on Donaldson's Dog-Joy, and I wish you could see him. Thanks to the bone-forming properties of Donaldson's Dog-Joy, he glows with health. A fine, upstanding dog, with eyes sparkling with the joy of living and both feet on the ground. A credit to his master."
"Never mind about Rupert's dog!"
"You've got to mind about Rupert's dog. You can't afford to ignore him. He is a dog to be reckoned with. A dog that counts. And all through Donaldson's Dog-Joy.'"
"I don't want to talk about Donaldson's Dog-Joy."
"I do. I want to give you a demonstration. You may not know it, Aunt Georgiana, but over in America the way we advertise this product, so rich in bone-forming vitamins, is as follows. We instruct our demonstrator to stand out in plain view before the many-headed and, when the audience is of sufficient size, to take a biscuit and break off a piece and chew it. By this means we prove that Donaldson's Dog-Joy is so superbly wholesome as actually to be fit for human consumption. Our demonstrator not only eats the biscuit - he in enjoys it. He rolls it round his tongue. He chews it and mixes it with his saliva..."
"Freddie, please!"
"With his saliva," repeated Freddie firmly. "and so does the dog. He masticates the biscuit. He enjoys it. he becomes a bigger and better dog. I will now eat a Donaldson's Dog-Biscuit."
And before his aunt's nauseated gaze, he proceeded to attempt this gruesome feat.
It was an impressive demonstration, but it failed in one particular. To have rendered it perfect, he should not have choked. Want of experience caused the disaster. long years of training go to the making of the seasoned demonstrators of Donaldson's Dog-Joy. They start in a small way with carpet tacks and work up through the flatiorns and patent breakfast cereals till they are ready for the big effort. Freddie was a novice. Endeavoring to roll the morsel round his tongue, he allowed it to escape into his windpipe.
From The Go-Getter
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03:41:25 PM,
Monday 7 February 2011
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I dreamt it was warm outside.
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03:40:15 PM,
Monday 7 February 2011
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I've been thinking, if you wanted to depose, say, Mayor Menino, through mass protests, where would you gather? Boston Common? City Hall Plaza? the Esplanade? City Hall Plaza seems practically designed with protests in mind. A large, chanting angry mob just seems like what it needs. If you wanted to prevent anyone driving anywhere, the Esplanade would be perfect, because you could blockade Storrow Drive and the bridges. But the Common and Garden would give you the best photo opportunities. You could spray revolutionary slogans on the swan boats and paddle them around.
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(1)
02:23:03 PM,
Monday 7 February 2011
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It has now been 72 hours since I overdid the shovelling, and my left bicep is still whining. I've explained to it that it's raining today, and that it doesn't have to shovel rain, but it doesn't trust me.
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07:06:55 PM,
Sunday 6 February 2011
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-Traffic engineers who sneer at large traffic circles overlook their political uses.
-If this revolution happens, it will be due to the liberalizing influence of universal conscription. The notion of universal obligations cannot be separated from the notion of universal rights, and a truly representative military makes a terrible tool of oppression.
-It's sobering that the Egyptian governments appeals to stay in power seem aimed as much at US public opinion as Egyptian public opinion.
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(2)
12:36:43 PM,
Friday 4 February 2011
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I am now, or soon will be, a Manager, Client Services. I don't think I've hit the Peter Principle point yet, but I can certainly see it from here. Once I'm overseeing enough work that I no longer have chance to do any of it myself, the vast majority of my competitive advantage will be gone.
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(5)
10:42:23 AM,
Friday 4 February 2011
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Trivia of the day: Keds are the oldest sneaker brand, predating Converse by a few years. They were made by US Rubber in Naugatuck, the town where my father worked when I was growing up.
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(1)
06:59:48 PM,
Wednesday 2 February 2011
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Someone a few houses down is raking their roof. I am very, very glad we've got a proper attic and a steep roof.
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(2)
11:00:21 AM,
Tuesday 1 February 2011
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site & script courtesy of Moss