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 […]
Smoking, Citing, Growing, Mangling
Posted by Ben on June 1, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/smoking-citing-growing-mangling/
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/
Real Violence
A study by a Johns Hopkins team of 97 boys and girls showed that exposure to photos of real gunshot wounds can significantly influence youths’ attitudes, making them less likely to believe that aggression can solve conflict, and probably also less likely to resort to violence in any instance: “Our study suggests that the kind […]
Posted by Ben on May 26, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/real-violence/
A Loving Story of the Po-po and their Lamborghini
I honestly think I prefer the Murciélago, but, you know—you take what you can get. “Italian police took possession Friday of a sleek, 500 horsepower, two-seater Lamborghini Gallardo, which can hit a top speed of 185 miles per hour. “The sports car, painted in the police’s distinctive blue and white colors, comes complete with a […]
Posted by Ben on May 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/a-loving-story/
Tigers, Wal-Mart, and Schwarzenneger (Oh My)
In Thailand, Buddhists find that tigers and humans can live together in harmony. Not only that, but the tigers, which live in a Buddhist temple, also coexist with the “monkeys, horses, deer, peacocks, geese and wild pigs” that live in the same area. The tigers are fed dog food and, if the article is to […]
Posted by Ben on May 24, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/tigers-wal-mart-and-schwarzenneger/
Palme D’Or
Congratulations to Mike and the fine crew who helped craft the yet-to-be-released documentary Fahrenheit 9/11; the movie won top honors at the Cannes Film Festival.
Posted by Ben on May 23, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/palme-dor/
Cicada, My Cicada
If you happen to live in the eastern US (and possibly elsewhere), your local paper’s doubtless run numerous cicada-themed stories, probably something along the lines of, “well sure nobody really likes them but this only happens once every 17 years (and by the way, you can eat them)”, maybe even with like a 8×8″ color […]
Posted by Ben on May 22, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/cicada-my-cicada/
A kangaroo named Lulu (and don’t forget the cockles!)
It’s enough to warms the cockles of your heart: “A kangaroo named Lulu is to receive a national bravery award after raising the alarm to save an Australian farmer knocked unconscious by a fallen tree branch. “Hobby farmer Leonard Richards was checking for storm damage on his property at Tanjil South, 150 km (93 miles) […]
Posted by Ben on May 21, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/a-kangaroo-named-lulu-and-dont-forget-the-cockles/