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])
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/
But today isn’t about how my presence here devalues this fine institution
“Thank you Mr. President, I had forgotten how crushingly dull these ceremonies are. Thank you. “My best to the choir. I have to say, that song never grows old for me. Whenever I hear that song, it reminds me of nothing. … “Today is the day you enter into the real world, and I should […]
Posted by Ben on May 20, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/but-today-isnt-about-how-my-presence-here-devalues-this-fine-institution/
Rundown: Abu Ghraib, The Passion of The Christ, etc
The National Security Archive at GWU is kinda like a combination research institute plus a library of declassified national security documents (hence the title). Everything from the August 6, 2001 PDB to documents pertaining to the US and genocide in Rwanda to more light-hearted things, including a pretty remarkably comprehensive online ‘exhibit’ of the meeting […]
Posted by Ben on May 17, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown-abu-ghraib-the-passion-of-the-christ-etc/
Which historical lunatic are YOU?
Finally, an internet personality quiz with a modicum of utility. (You think I’m being facetious, but I’m not.) Which Historical Lunatic Are You?From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.
Posted by Ben on May 9, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/which-historical-lunatic-are-you/
Farewell, infoglut
Memigo calls itself an “intelligent news agent.” It lets you register, rate articles, etc., etc., and—in theory, anyway—it gives you news you want to read. And not all that other crap. The idea is, once you register it adapts to your preferences (in part thanks to your rating of articles), siphoning news out of the […]
Posted by Ben on May 5, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/farewell-infoglut/
Exorcism, alive and well
Exorcism is an undeniably strange phenomenon. Says Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s top exorcist, “Exorcism is God’s true miracle.” (Los Angeles Times: “For exorcist, the devil’s in the details” by Tracy Wilkinson [May 2, 2004] via BoGlo)
Posted by Ben on May 3, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/exorcism-alive-and-well/
Heads up: That’s Not What I Said
Dave Pollard at “How to Save the World” has an interesting post on the inadequacies (and idiosyncracies) of communication, focusing mostly on formal presentations and informal conversation. Pollard uses (admittedly anecdotal) evidence to point out the woeful inadequacy of most presentations. As he says, “almost none” of what a presenter says “gets ‘correctly understood, internalized, […]
Posted by Ben on May 2, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/heads-up-thats-not-what-i-said/
Rundown
An article in the NYT paints Chile as a South American underdog (not to mention oddball): unpopular, orderly, and lawful. I don’t know enough about Chile to say what about this article, if anything, is suspect, but I am wary of its tone. For starters, it immediately identifies Chile as hypercapitalist (the author’s exact word) […]
Posted by Ben on May 1, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown/
New (Old) Pictures
Some new pictures added to the trusty photo-gallery, mostly in the Oh Canada section (though there’s a new picture on the critters page, too—of spinoni at a dog show in Harrisburg). The windmilly pictures are of a wind-farm in Canada, and the coast/forest pictures are from various sites, mostly along the coast of Maine and […]
Posted by Ben on April 28, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/new-old-pictures/