Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Good reasoning!
Jacob Zuma, a flamboyant Zulu activist since his teen years, was elected president of the African National Congress and is a presumed shoo-in to become president of South Africa in 2009, despite a 2005 rape trial (at which he was acquitted). Zuma had testified that the sex was consensual, that " in Zulu culture, you cannot leave a woman if she is ready. To deny her sex, that would have been tantamount to rape." He also said that he had not bothered with a condom even though he knew she was HIV-positive, cheerfully explaining, "I had a shower afterward." Now, that should do it...right?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Stella Awards 2007
Awards named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico where she purchased the coffee(she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving).
*Kathleen Robertson of Austin , Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.
*Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles , California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's
hubcaps.
*Terrence Dickson, of Bristol , Pennsylvania , was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish.
Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.
*Jerry Williams, of Little Rock , Arkansas was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the
beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
*Amber Carson of Lancaster , Pennsylvania - a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.
*Kara Walton, of Claymont , Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two
front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club
had to pay her $12,000....plus dental expenses
*This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On
her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to
the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs.Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set . The Oklahoma jury awarded her, $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also
buy a motor home.
*Kathleen Robertson of Austin , Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.
*Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles , California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's
hubcaps.
*Terrence Dickson, of Bristol , Pennsylvania , was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish.
Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.
*Jerry Williams, of Little Rock , Arkansas was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the
beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
*Amber Carson of Lancaster , Pennsylvania - a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.
*Kara Walton, of Claymont , Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two
front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club
had to pay her $12,000....plus dental expenses
*This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On
her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to
the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs.Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set . The Oklahoma jury awarded her, $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also
buy a motor home.
Friday, January 11, 2008
An I.Q. Test
Part of Einstein IQ Test
1) 12 members were present at a board meeting. Each member shook hands with all of the other members before & after the meeting. How many hand shakes were there?
2) At Probability University, there are 375 freshmen, 293 sophomores, 187 juniors, & 126 seniors. One student will randomly be chosen to receive an award. What percent chance is there that it will be a junior? Round to the nearest whole percent.
3) If you take a marker & start from a corner on a cube, what is the maximum number of edges you can trace across if you never trace across the same edge twice, never remove the marker from the cube, & never trace anywhere on the cube, except for the corners & edges?
4) A cube is made of a white material, but the exterior is painted black. If the cube is cut into 125 smaller cubes of exactly the same size, how many of the cubes will have 2 of their sides painted black?
5) In another galaxy, a certain nation of creatures speak a language known as Algramara. In this language, "harvec tood zevac" means "my tooth hurts," "lavec lina zevac" means "my delicious food," & "zevac corma lina" means "eating my food." What does "corma harvec zevac tood" mean?
6) If you started a business in which you earned $1 on the first day, $3 on the second day, $5 on the third day, $7 on the fourth day, & so on, how much would you have earned with this business after 50 years (assuming there are exactly 365 days in every year) - hint:fold in half?
7) A worker earns a 5% raise. A year later, the worker receives a 2.5% cut in pay, & now her salary is $22702.68. What was her salary to begin with?
8) How many weeks have 156 hours in them?
10) What letter completes this set?2k 2q 16p 4r 4b 4 - hint:pay raise/pay cut
For answers go to Comments.
1) 12 members were present at a board meeting. Each member shook hands with all of the other members before & after the meeting. How many hand shakes were there?
2) At Probability University, there are 375 freshmen, 293 sophomores, 187 juniors, & 126 seniors. One student will randomly be chosen to receive an award. What percent chance is there that it will be a junior? Round to the nearest whole percent.
3) If you take a marker & start from a corner on a cube, what is the maximum number of edges you can trace across if you never trace across the same edge twice, never remove the marker from the cube, & never trace anywhere on the cube, except for the corners & edges?
4) A cube is made of a white material, but the exterior is painted black. If the cube is cut into 125 smaller cubes of exactly the same size, how many of the cubes will have 2 of their sides painted black?
5) In another galaxy, a certain nation of creatures speak a language known as Algramara. In this language, "harvec tood zevac" means "my tooth hurts," "lavec lina zevac" means "my delicious food," & "zevac corma lina" means "eating my food." What does "corma harvec zevac tood" mean?
6) If you started a business in which you earned $1 on the first day, $3 on the second day, $5 on the third day, $7 on the fourth day, & so on, how much would you have earned with this business after 50 years (assuming there are exactly 365 days in every year) - hint:fold in half?
7) A worker earns a 5% raise. A year later, the worker receives a 2.5% cut in pay, & now her salary is $22702.68. What was her salary to begin with?
8) How many weeks have 156 hours in them?
10) What letter completes this set?2k 2q 16p 4r 4b 4 - hint:pay raise/pay cut
For answers go to Comments.
FASCINATING PEOPLE, Part 18.
John Desmond Bernal (1901-1971) was a prominent international scientist from Ireland. He did pioneering work in X-ray crystallography. Was a Professor of Physics and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He ranged widely in his intellectual interests and activities, also doing pioneering work in social studies of science or "science of science". He was by all accounts a dazzling thinker and talker. His contemporaries called him SAGE, as he was considered to be uncommonly wise. He was a Marxist in philosophy and a Communist in politics (say, what?). Led a complicated life, sitting on hundreds of committees and playing a leading role in many scientific and political organisations. He also led a somewhat unconventional domestic life of a notoriously non-monogamous nature;~)
During the WWII Bernal was scientific adviser to Lord Mountbatten (the great grandson of Queen Victoria, who was a captain of the destroyer Kelly) . Worked with Solly Zuckerman on the impact of bombing on people and buildings. In 1943 he helped to select the landing beachers for the D-Day invasion of France...
He believed that scientific cooperation between nations would help to mitigate the difficulties caused by the cold war and lead to better understanding between countries. Science for international cooperation and for a world without war - well, he's good in my books!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Languages
A linguistics professor was lecturing his class one day.
'In English', he said, 'A double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative.'
A loud voice from the back of the room piped up, 'Yeah, right.'
A clever pilot, with the help of his passengers, managed to thwart a hijacking attempt. He realised when talking to the hijacker that he didn’t speak French, despite trying to force the plane to land in France. So, he told the passengers over the intercom that he was going to do a rough landing to throw the hijacker off balance and that the passengers should be ready to pounce. He even moved the women and children to the back of the plane.
Let's end it with a few of solid mis-translations:
Here speeching American.-sign in a Moroccan shop.
No smoothen the lion.-sign in a zoo in the Czech Republic.
Specialist in women and other diseases.-doctor's office in Rome
Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin.-window of a Swedish furrier
Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.-on the menu of a Swiss restaurant
If you consider our help impolite, you should see the manager.-sign in an Athens hotel.
Teeth extracted by latest methodists.-sign in Hong Kong dentist's office.
'In English', he said, 'A double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative.'
A loud voice from the back of the room piped up, 'Yeah, right.'
A clever pilot, with the help of his passengers, managed to thwart a hijacking attempt. He realised when talking to the hijacker that he didn’t speak French, despite trying to force the plane to land in France. So, he told the passengers over the intercom that he was going to do a rough landing to throw the hijacker off balance and that the passengers should be ready to pounce. He even moved the women and children to the back of the plane.
Let's end it with a few of solid mis-translations:
Here speeching American.-sign in a Moroccan shop.
No smoothen the lion.-sign in a zoo in the Czech Republic.
Specialist in women and other diseases.-doctor's office in Rome
Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin.-window of a Swedish furrier
Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.-on the menu of a Swiss restaurant
If you consider our help impolite, you should see the manager.-sign in an Athens hotel.
Teeth extracted by latest methodists.-sign in Hong Kong dentist's office.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Can you believe your eyes (or not)
A group of Czech artists who inserted a nuclear explosion into a national weather broadcast have been told by a prosecutor they could be sent to jail. The six hackers are accused of tampering with equipment during a live panoramic shot of mountains. A flash of bright light could be seen followed by a fiery mushroom cloud on the horizon.The group, which earlier won an award from Prague's National Gallery, face charges of spreading false information. The six, who call themselves "Ztohoven", claim that the aim of the project - called Media Reality - was to show how reality can be manipulated by the media. They say they are not political and do not intend to intimidate society. In order to hack into the broadcast, the group is said to have climbed up a television tower near the Krkonose ("Giant Mountains") in the northern Czech Republic and connected a computer to the camera and broadcast cable. Ztohoven are no strangers to publicity stunts. When President Vaclav Havel stepped down in January 2003, they covered up part of a neon heart sculpture in his honour at Prague Castle and turned it into a giant question mark.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Street Art
Street art is illegal, as a rule, but it seems that the situation is slowly changing. The proof of that is Bansky whose work has become protected by law. Will such an attitude of authorities towards street art become more popular only time will tell. But for now, only crime has united the artists from all over the world. Here are the works from New York, Washington, Spain, Russia, Malaysia, Australia and Canada.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
There must be a moral to this story somewhere...
New York City's Serendipity 3 restaurant had been noted by the Guinness Book of World Records for having the planet's most expensive dessert (a $25,000 chocolate sundae, featuring, among other delicacies, edible gold flakes). However, the city's Department of Health had ordered Serendipity 3 closed after inspectors found a live mouse in the kitchen, along with mouse droppings, fruit flies, house flies and more than 100 cockroaches.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Suggesting Answering Machine Messages
*We are unable to come to the phone right now. At the tone, please leave your name, number, and Master Card, Visa, or American Express account number and we'll get back to you, pending credit approval.
*You have reached the , Strategic Air Command Nuclear Missile Storage Facility. We are unable to come to the phone right now. At the tone, please leave you name, number and target or list of targets and we'll launch as soon as we can. And have a nice day."
*Hello. This is {name}. John and Mike aren't here right now, but if you leave a message, they'll get back to you as soon as they can."
*Hello. I'm {name}'s answering machine. What are you?"
*(Annoying flute music in background) Good day, Jim. Your contact, [insert name], is not available right now. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to leave your name, number, and a brief message at the tone. This tape will self-destruct in thirty seconds. Good Luck, Jim.
*In the background can be heard Gregorian Chant or some other church music Good Day My child, you have reached {name} dial a confession. At the tone if you will leave your name, number and short confession I will get back to you with your penance. Thank you and may God go with you.
*Hi this is {name}. I'm sorry I can't answer the phone right now. Leave a message and then wait by the phone until I call you back.
*This is a boring answering machine message. Leave a message anyway.
*You have reached the , Strategic Air Command Nuclear Missile Storage Facility. We are unable to come to the phone right now. At the tone, please leave you name, number and target or list of targets and we'll launch as soon as we can. And have a nice day."
*Hello. This is {name}. John and Mike aren't here right now, but if you leave a message, they'll get back to you as soon as they can."
*Hello. I'm {name}'s answering machine. What are you?"
*(Annoying flute music in background) Good day, Jim. Your contact, [insert name], is not available right now. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to leave your name, number, and a brief message at the tone. This tape will self-destruct in thirty seconds. Good Luck, Jim.
*In the background can be heard Gregorian Chant or some other church music Good Day My child, you have reached {name} dial a confession. At the tone if you will leave your name, number and short confession I will get back to you with your penance. Thank you and may God go with you.
*Hi this is {name}. I'm sorry I can't answer the phone right now. Leave a message and then wait by the phone until I call you back.
*This is a boring answering machine message. Leave a message anyway.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Merry Christmas!
A little boy sits at his desk writing a Christmas list to Jesus. He first writes, "Dear baby Jesus, I have been a good boy the whole year, so I want a new..." He looks at it, then crumples it up into a ball and throws it away.
He gets out a new piece of paper and writes again, "Dear baby Jesus, I have been a good boy for most of the year, so I want a new..." He again looks at it with disgust and throws it away.
He then gets an idea. He goes into his mother's room, takes a statue of the Virgin Mary, puts it in the closet, and locks the door. He takes another piece of paper and writes, "Dear baby Jesus. If you ever want to see your mother again..."
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Real Universal Soldier
Folk singer Donovan, 61, announced plans to open the Invincible Donovan University in his native Scotland to advance Transcendental Meditation teachings, asserting that a critical mass of practitioners (concentrating in unison) can cause society to reduce its crime, violence and stress (he said the critical mass for improving a small country like Scotland would be only 250 meditators).
Think happy thoughts, people!
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