Do you know how the word albatross (which is the name of a bird) became associated with a wearisome burden? If you don’t, you need to read this poem from beginning to end for your own education.
Poem of the Week: 7/12/09-7/18/09
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Category Archives: Knowledge
Essay of the Week: 7/12/09-7/18/09
You are going to be hearing a lot about “front running” in the coming months. There are a growing number of people who are prepared to blame all sorts of evils on the practice. For that reason, people need to read this white paper so that they can understand what all the fuss is about.
Links For Today
Structures collapsing because of shoddy construction is not news. But tipping over a 13 story building is a bit of a trick. More pictures on flicker.
The other dying island nation.
More smoke then fire. But it will still scare Microsoft. They still check under their beds for monsters every night.
Links For Today
The rage in China as reported by the Telegraph and Spiegel.
You mean IOU’s won’t work forever? This seemed to be news to some banks. (previously most banks were reported as saying that they would accept IOU’s as being the same as cash.)
Something to keep your eye on.
A test to keep in mind should you ever go shopping for a cell phone.
Links For Today
The latest manifestation of black helicopters. It is all over done, but when almost 50% of market volume is program trading people are bound to get paranoid.
A cure for Alzheimer’s that we know does not work. It has been tried already.
Essay of the Week: 7/5/09-7/11/09
This week’s essay of the week is how essays of the week were supposed to be.
Toilets are hard to advertise
You can’t show them doing their real job. This is a pretty good simulation, though–especially that last test.
I need one. Often my use of a toilet for its ordinary purposes leaves it all choked up. I’m just special that way. For me it would have been good to see it handle some longer … hot dogs.
H/T Hip and Thigh who rightly points out that the plumbing behind this flushing marvel will matter a lot.
Essay of the Week:6/28/09-7/4/09
An explanation of why writing novels is an old man’s game is this week’s essay of the week.
Pigeons can be trained to like "good" art
This study reported on Discovery.com says that pigeons can be trained to pick out art their handlers think is good.
I think this is excellent news. Now we can put pigeons in school and let the kids run around in the park, and everyone will be better off. The kids can learn better things than mimickery and the pigeons can do as they are told.
Links For Today
Really Stupid. Guess which state?
Cool if it works. But talk is really cheap. Most things that are this hyped don’t work.