Whispering Windows. As if Advertising weren’t already obnoxious enough, some company’s decided to go an invent a store window that talks to passers-by, coaxing them to enter the store, buy the product, etcetera. Yes, so talking shop windows will undoubtedly lure more people into stores, at least until everyone’s accustomed to the chatterpanes. But at […]
Fledgling Conspiracy Theorists
There are some strange things floating around surrounding the death of Nick Berg. Questions about who really killed him, what the video really showed, etc. While none of this quite pinpoints anything resembling a massive conspiracy, it does raise some questions that need to linger a while longer. (For the impatient [and for anyone who […]
Posted by Ben on June 2, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/fledgling-conspiracy-theorists/
How to Try a Murder
How To Try A Murder (by Michael Kurland) is a lightning-quick overview of general courtroom conventions and the like. You got yer elements of th’ crime, yer arrest/indictment, yer trial preparations, and so on and so forth, on through to the verdict. Along the way you get general procedural info, neat anecdotal facts and historical […]
Posted by Ben on June 2, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/how-to-try-a-murder-review/
Smoking, Citing, Growing, Mangling
Nothing of particularly great import, but a few zany facts and oddities for you to file away in that spongy gray filing cabinet of yours. Less is more: “Smokers who pride themselves on successfully cutting back as a step toward quitting tobacco altogether may be caught in a haze of self-deception. New research shows smokers […]
Posted by Ben on June 1, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/smoking-citing-growing-mangling/
Quote of the Day
I don’t think she really means it: “You have to admit if you saw one, two, three, four or more people dressed in traditional Goth, it would be discerning,” she said. (via AP: “$132K of Grant to Combat Goth Returned” [May 21, 2004])
Posted by Ben on May 31, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/quote-of-the-day/
New Feature
Not that it’s really a feature, or all that interesting, but it is new: the recent links section in the sidebar on the right-hand side of the page. It’s slated to house all sorts of fascinating stuff—breaking news, quirky stories and information, unusual resources, etc. Crap like that. Start at the top of the bar […]
Posted by Ben on May 29, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/new-feature/
Confidence (***)
(2003) dir. James Foley – w/ Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Paul Giamatti, Brian Van Holt, Andy Garcia and Dustin Hoffman Synopsis: Confidence games, you gotta love ’em. Unless you’re the one getting conned. ‘Confidence’ features a tight-knit group of con-men (led by Ed Burns as ‘Jake’) who, in pulling the wool over the eyes of […]
Posted by Ben on May 29, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/confidence/
David Dellinger, 1915-2004
THE COURT: I direct the marshal to have this man sit down. MR. KUNSTLER: Every time I make a motion am I going to be thrown in my seat when I argue it? MR. DELLINGER: Force and violence. The judge is inciting a riot by asking the marshal to have him sit down. THE COURT: […]
Posted by Ben on May 28, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/david-dellinger/
Voting Gloss off the Island
Falling into the “You Could Make This Up, But People Would Think You Were A Bit Slow In The Head” category: “Billed as the ‘ultimate reality TV show,’ British pay-channel UKTV Style promises a wall, some brushes and different types of paint in its program ‘Watching Paint Dry.’ “[P]eople watching paint drying on www.uktvstyle.co.uk will […]
Posted by Ben on May 28, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/voting-gloss-off-the-island/
Global
Global Warming. In honor of the global warming disaster flick, The Day After Tomorrow (opening this Friday) here’s a link to an “old” post by Dave Pollard that acts as a good leaping off point for anyone looking to get the facts on climate change. Still more relevant, the Union of Concerned Scientists takes “The […]
Posted by Ben on May 27, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/global-warming-global-secrecy/