Have you noticed how many movers and shakers have the same names as their fathers? I was going to say "successful people" but we're talking politicians and businessmen, not how I measure success. Does "success" engender naming offspring after yourself or does naming a kid after yourself give them a leg up? Simply imponderable.
Let's go back in time:
2008: Barack Hussein Obama II
Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr
The man who could never become president, John McCain III
2000-2004: George Walker Bush, son of George Herbert Walker Bush, nephew of George Herbert Walker (can you tell where the money really came from?)
Richard Cheney II
The guy who really won the 2000 election, Albert Gore, Jr
How about the guy who really won in 2004, John Kerry? Nope, but maybe if he'd been a junior, he would have had more help in proving election tampering.
1992-1996: William Jefferson Clinton was born William J Blythe, III. Bill's brother was Roger Clinton, Jr
1988-1992: We already mentioned George Bush. How about his VP, John Danforth Quayle III?
1988: Michael Dukakis? Not a junior, but running mate Lloyd Bentson, Jr was.
1984: Walter F Mondale? Nope.
1980: Ronald Reagan? Nope, but he has a son named Ron.
1976: James Earl Carter, Jr
Gerald R Ford, Jr was born Leslie King, Jr. That's gotta be a record in vanity somehow.
Nelson Rockefeller was not a Jr (a Sr, though), but his father (John D, Jr) and brother were (John D III).
1968: Neither Nixon nor Agnew was (and see what happened to them) but Hubert H Humphrey II was. He sired HHH III and HHH IV, plus the Metrodome. Quite the legacy there.
1964: Lyndon Johnson? Nope, but his brother was.
1960: John Kennedy wasn't but his brother was. In case you need reminding, JFK was a Sr.
Nixon's running mate in 1960 was Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.
1952-1956: David Eisenhower II (different middle name)
That's enough for now. That's a lot of Juniors, Seniors, 2nds and 3rds. Myself, I'm an only.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Lunch
Today's decision on what to have for lunch was made by the klutz who unpacked groceries at 11:50 AM and dropped a bag containing a carton of eggs. Only two eggs broke, so a nice little omelet became the main course.
It hit the spot, too. The secret to a great omelet? A few drops of Tabasco sauce.
It hit the spot, too. The secret to a great omelet? A few drops of Tabasco sauce.
Friday, May 15, 2009
I've Done This Before
I went to my usual neighborhood theater this afternoon (Willow Creek on Shelard Parkway in Plymouth, Minnesota). The guy at the box office looked a cut above the typical teen-to-twentysomething that normally mans the booth. I said "One for 'State of Play,'" and before he could say, "That'll be $6.25," I had laid down a fiver, a single and a quarter. He was genuinely surprised and made a comment like, "You're very prepared." "Yes," was my reply, "I've been here a few times."
That's not what I wanted to say. I keep track of the movies I see but I don't memorize my stats. If I did, I would have been able to instantly reply, "Yes, I've been here a few times. This will be my 692nd viewing of a movie at your fine establishment." The drama addict in me would love to have seen his jaw hit the floor. Unfortunately, I tallied my stats several hours after seeing the movie.
In case you're wondering, the count started in 1994. I didn't make Willow Creek my usual haunt until 2000, when I saw 49 movies there (out of 122 that year). My peak for the theater was 101 in 2005. You can thank Joss Whedon's "Serenity" for enough repeat viewings in 2005 to help me eclipse 2004's 100.
I wonder if the Manager of Willow Creek would really care if he found out that I was one of his best customers. Why not? Well, I'm also one of his worst. I almost always go to a matinee and almost never buy anything at the concession stand. Theaters pay most of the box office take to the distributors so they make next to nothing off ticket sales. Their highest profit margins come from concessions, especially pop and popcorn.
If I chatted with the Manager, I might suggest the following deal: I get a laminated unlimited access pass to the theater and I agree to purchase concessions equal to or exceeding the cost of the tickets I don't buy. It's a win-win scenario: I have the same out of pocket costs and he shifts his revenue to extremely high margin products. Like I said, win-win, except that, from the distributor's perspective, it's fraud. Except for that one little detail, it's a great plan.
That's not what I wanted to say. I keep track of the movies I see but I don't memorize my stats. If I did, I would have been able to instantly reply, "Yes, I've been here a few times. This will be my 692nd viewing of a movie at your fine establishment." The drama addict in me would love to have seen his jaw hit the floor. Unfortunately, I tallied my stats several hours after seeing the movie.
In case you're wondering, the count started in 1994. I didn't make Willow Creek my usual haunt until 2000, when I saw 49 movies there (out of 122 that year). My peak for the theater was 101 in 2005. You can thank Joss Whedon's "Serenity" for enough repeat viewings in 2005 to help me eclipse 2004's 100.
I wonder if the Manager of Willow Creek would really care if he found out that I was one of his best customers. Why not? Well, I'm also one of his worst. I almost always go to a matinee and almost never buy anything at the concession stand. Theaters pay most of the box office take to the distributors so they make next to nothing off ticket sales. Their highest profit margins come from concessions, especially pop and popcorn.
If I chatted with the Manager, I might suggest the following deal: I get a laminated unlimited access pass to the theater and I agree to purchase concessions equal to or exceeding the cost of the tickets I don't buy. It's a win-win scenario: I have the same out of pocket costs and he shifts his revenue to extremely high margin products. Like I said, win-win, except that, from the distributor's perspective, it's fraud. Except for that one little detail, it's a great plan.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
More Robert Plant
I'm still convinced that Apple engineers are toying with me. I'm currently at work, listening to tunages on my iPod. Five songs into a 1470-song playlist (this is the playlist that excludes songs played in the past four months), I hear a Led Zeppelin song from the early 70s (Robert Plant, lead singer). Song seven is from the Honeydrippers from the 80s (Robert Plant, lead singer). I know that statistically it's possible this was a truly random occurrance but I'd rather believe that Apple engineers toyed with the iPod random function. I'm gonna keep an eye on them because it's the kind of thing I'd do and I know that I can't be trusted.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Yep, Spring Has Sprung
Well, for today.
This picture is from Sunday afternoon, April 5, 2009, 5:10PM. The picture in the previous post was taken this morning at 7:30. It was 28° and by 9:00, we had 2" of new snow (all since midnight). Now, it's 50° and there is only the slightest hint of snow in the shaded areas.
There's a chance of snow tomorrow but that should be it for the season. We hope. Not placing any bets on it or anything.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
I Know Something the Writers on 'Jeopardy' Don't Know
'Jeopardy' got an answer wrong and I'm happy to bore you with the right one.
I was watching the 'Jeopardy' show from Febuary 16, 2009, yesterday. Yes, I'm a little behind - so what? This was the clue: "Also the title of one of the best-selling albums of all time, it was first seen in Russian photos taken in 1959."
What is "The Dark Side of the Moon?"
Wrong.
While it is true that Pink Floyd's 1973 album "The Dark Side of the Moon" is one of the best selling albums of all time (I own a copy), and it is true that a Russian camera probe swung around the moon in 1959, it is not true that the dark side of the moon was first seen by human eyes or cameras in 1959. The dark side has always been visible to us on Earth.
The moon is orbit locked around Earth - it presents the same side to us at all times. The moon revolves around the Earth so at any given time, 50% of the moon is illuminated by the sun and 50% is dark. That 50% moves because the moon is constantly in motion even though the same half of the moon always faces Earth. Measured in days, the dark side and the light side swap positions 1/28th or 3.5% every day. We see that shift as the phases of the moon.
If you want to see the dark side of the moon, just look to the sky. Unless it's a full moon, where the side facing Earth is fully illuminated, you will see at least a sliver of the dark side. During a new moon, you'll see ALL of the dark side, but it's sometimes tough to make out details because it's, you know, DARK.
So, what did 'Jeopardy' do wrong? They confused dark and far. That Russian camera probe was actually notable for first photographing the FAR side of the moon, not the dark side. Perhaps we can blame Pink Floyd for perpetuating a misnomer. Maybe the song and album should have been "The FAR Side of the Moon." It doesn't matter. All that matters is I'M RIGHT and THEY'RE WRONG!
I was watching the 'Jeopardy' show from Febuary 16, 2009, yesterday. Yes, I'm a little behind - so what? This was the clue: "Also the title of one of the best-selling albums of all time, it was first seen in Russian photos taken in 1959."
What is "The Dark Side of the Moon?"
Wrong.
While it is true that Pink Floyd's 1973 album "The Dark Side of the Moon" is one of the best selling albums of all time (I own a copy), and it is true that a Russian camera probe swung around the moon in 1959, it is not true that the dark side of the moon was first seen by human eyes or cameras in 1959. The dark side has always been visible to us on Earth.
The moon is orbit locked around Earth - it presents the same side to us at all times. The moon revolves around the Earth so at any given time, 50% of the moon is illuminated by the sun and 50% is dark. That 50% moves because the moon is constantly in motion even though the same half of the moon always faces Earth. Measured in days, the dark side and the light side swap positions 1/28th or 3.5% every day. We see that shift as the phases of the moon.
If you want to see the dark side of the moon, just look to the sky. Unless it's a full moon, where the side facing Earth is fully illuminated, you will see at least a sliver of the dark side. During a new moon, you'll see ALL of the dark side, but it's sometimes tough to make out details because it's, you know, DARK.
So, what did 'Jeopardy' do wrong? They confused dark and far. That Russian camera probe was actually notable for first photographing the FAR side of the moon, not the dark side. Perhaps we can blame Pink Floyd for perpetuating a misnomer. Maybe the song and album should have been "The FAR Side of the Moon." It doesn't matter. All that matters is I'M RIGHT and THEY'RE WRONG!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Cyclone Dairy
I've been seeing a catchy ad in the sponsor's section of Daily Kos the past few days. I clicked it this morning and found a web site at the other end of this link:
http://www.cyclonedairy.com/
It's pumping the advantages of milk given by cloned cows. It's either the funniest gag web site ever (heard of reverse psychology?) or it's real and Cyclone Dairy is run by the most clueless business people in recorded history.
If you have knowledge of its veracity, leave a coment. Otherwise, enjoy!
http://www.cyclonedairy.com/
It's pumping the advantages of milk given by cloned cows. It's either the funniest gag web site ever (heard of reverse psychology?) or it's real and Cyclone Dairy is run by the most clueless business people in recorded history.
If you have knowledge of its veracity, leave a coment. Otherwise, enjoy!
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