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Monday, December 6, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The World's Greatest Literature, Summarized Courtesy of Microsoft Word
via jason-huff.com
The top 100 most downloaded public domain books are summarized here. Worth a browse.
Note to students: this is not an effective way to study for tests when you didn't read the book. Sorry if that's a spoiler.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Go to the Gym Every Day at Lunch? Doesn't matter.
In a study published in May in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, they reported that, to no one’s surprise, the men who sat the most had the greatest risk of heart problems. Men who spent more than 23 hours a week watching TV and sitting in their cars (as passengers or as drivers) had a 64 percent greater chance of dying from heart disease than those who sat for 11 hours a week or less. What was unexpected was that many of the men who sat long hours and developed heart problems also exercised. Quite a few of them said they did so regularly and led active lifestyles. The men worked out, then sat in cars and in front of televisions for hours, and their risk of heart disease soared, despite the exercise. Their workouts did not counteract the ill effects of sitting.
I've got a standing desk at home, but not at the office. I wonder if that has any impact on all of this.
Jewel Poses as "Homely" to Sing Jewel Songs at Karaoke
via funnyordie.com
Listening to the people in the audience reacting to her alter-ego, Karen, is probably the best part. Awesome idea.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Agnostic Cartographer
One fateful day in early August, Google Maps turned Arunachal Pradesh Chinese. It happened without warning. One minute, the mountainous border state adjacent to Tibet was labeled with its usual complement of Indian place-names; the next it was sprinkled with Mandarin characters, like a virtual annex of the People’s Republic.
The error could hardly have been more awkward. Governed by India but claimed by China, Arunachal Pradesh has been a source of rankling dispute between the two nations for decades. Google’s sudden relabeling of the province gave the appearance of a special tip of the hat toward Beijing. Its timing, moreover, was freakishly bad: the press noticed that Google’s servers had started splaying Mandarin place-names all over the state only a few hours before Indian and Chinese negotiating teams sat down for talks in New Delhi to work toward resolving the delicate border issue.
Sometimes, taking a neutral point of view causes its own problems. Border issues are about as old as international or inter-tribal disputes get, and nations are no less passionate about them than they've ever been.
Rounders Meets Retirement Meets The Price is Right
via esquire.com
He might not look like much, but this guy was one of the few who first figured out how to game The Price is Right.
Best part? He's a meteorologist. It makes me wonder what special talents Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz is hiding. You know he's a closet cage fighter.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Iroquois, Lacorsse Contenders, Refuse to Travel under US Passports
The Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team has been delayed from traveling to the World Lacrosse Championships. The team claims this is due to some members holding passports issued by the Iroquois confederacy. Robert Siegel talks to S.L. Price, senior writer for Sports Illustrated, who's been following the story
via npr.org
The Iroquois are a major player in the international lacrosse scene, so having them miss the World Championships is bad for everyone. It makes total sense that the Iroquois wouldn't want to travel under an American passport as they go to compete against the Americans.
Robert Siegel's point, that the Welsh aren't complaining about traveling under a UK passport, doesn't really hold up. The Welsh aren't competing against the UK, they're competing against England. It would have been closer if he'd referenced Northern Ireland, which is largely separatist, but even that is a bit of a stretch. Maybe it's like the DC Olympic Curling team, or the Puerto Ricans in the summer Olympics.
All the same, the American government has an interest in asserting dominion over Native American tribes while allowing them to function largely autonomously. In previous international situations, it was, as said in the story, "don't ask, don't tell." When it comes down to it, the US does not recognize tribes like the Iroquois as sovereign nations.
Rightly or wrongly in principle, when the United Kingdom asked the United States if the US would guarantee the right of return for the Iroquois under Iroquois passports, the US responded with its existing policy.
Not sure how I feel about the principle in general though. I do hope they get it sorted in time for the Iroquois team to play, though. My impression, perhaps completely unfounded, is that so much of the Native American youth is devoid of aspiration that this kind of competition can only be a good thing.
Screw Iceland, Take a Trip to Bucks County
Who would have thought Bucks County would rank among the list for quick summer getaways around the world? Apparently, Shermans Travel does. The Top 10 kicks off with Azores, Portugal goes to Bermuda and Bucks County comes in at No. 3.
via msnbc.msn.com
As someone who grew up in Bucks County, I have to second Shermans Travel's advice here. Beautiful area, a lot to do, and not too much tourist madness.
I buy into the Azores being high up there, but I'm not sure I'd put Bermuda above Bucks County.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
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