Filed under Things I Am Bad At: Judge a book by its cover. The goal of this (simple, difficult) game is to guess the average number of stars under the book’s listing on Amazon. You get a running tally of how many you guessed correctly.
Once again, “If you give a moose a muffin” comes to the rescue
Posted by Ben on October 2, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/once-again-if-you-give-a-moose-a-muffin-comes-to-the-rescue/
A natural progression
As we become too lazy to do our own work, we send technologically augmented turtles and seals to be our detectives and scientists. (via BoingBoing and NewScientist)
Posted by Ben on September 21, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/a-natural-progression/
Ahead of its time?
A sort of Netflix for magazines, Maghound has recently launched — and looks like an intriguing concept. You pay a set monthly fee, and can easily change which magazines you get from month to month (getting the same # each month, relative to your subscription level). Also, they have a great logo: Unfortunately, the selection […]
Posted by Ben on September 19, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/ahead-of-its-time/
Ridiculous Cow Syndrome
This is one of those ridiculous things that is, well, ridiculous. The power of the market — or stupidity, which may be the same thing — trumping common sense: The Bush administration can prohibit meat packers from testing their animals for mad cow disease, a federal appeals court said Friday. (emphasis added) A premium meat […]
Posted by Ben on September 18, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/ridiculous-cow-syndrome/
Not the best track record
Which is, really, fortunate. “10 other dates when the world failed to end.” One of my favorites: Sept 11-13 1988 – Former Nasa engineer Edgar Whisenant sold 4.5 million copies of his book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988, mostly to evangelical US Christians. Follow-up works, which revised the prediction for dates […]
Posted by Ben on September 11, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/not-the-best-track-record/
Much better than first generation wings
(Cybertek Wings Version 2)
Posted by Ben on September 4, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/much-better-than-first-generation-wings/
Compelling explanations
Winnie-the-Pooh, a panther, and a mouse rob a passer-by of $160. Also questionable: the robbers were wearing their costumes on account of “they had run out of clean clothes.” (Although… probably not actually $160, as the setting of the crime in question is Tokyo.) Related: Winnie-the-Pooh, Soviet style. (via Reuters: “Winnie-the-Pooh held for robbery?” [12 […]
Posted by Ben on August 26, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/compelling-explanations/
And then there’s the unlucky 10%
“Consumer Reports Survey: More Than 90 Percent of Hagglers Scored Better Prices on Furniture, Electronics and Appliances, Medical Bills, and More.” (via Consumerist)
Posted by Ben on August 13, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/and-then-theres-the-unlucky-10/
What people ask when they can ask anything
Forget the Golden Gate Bridge and House of Nanking and Zeitgeist on a summer night — the heart of San Francisco beats loudest on the carpeted second floor of that South Van Ness building you thought was Bank of America. … “Thank you for calling San Francisco 311, this is Kyle speaking, how may I […]
Posted by Ben on August 6, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/what-people-ask-when-they-can-ask-anything/
Useful information, by any standard
No child should touch a gun or pistol, or on any account present one at another person. We behold a little boy shooting his sister dead! And: Here we see the danger of playing with lighted candles. One little girl has set the bed-curtains on fire, and the other her hair; and both are in […]
Posted by Ben on July 24, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/useful-information-by-any-standard/