Archives for the 'ancient mysteries' Category
Foot Faddish
Published on 20 Mar 2010 at 2:06 pm.
4 Comments.
Filed under Live Forever Or Die Trying!, ancient mysteries, science.
Back into running, and eyeing these things with fascination. The latest foot fad is high-tech retro, a sort of Space Age Australopithecus thing, back to the future. Based on a highly scientific theory that we should run the way Darwin intended us to, Serengeti-style, only with faux callouses, suitable for homo sapiens’ more recently evolved urban sophistication or loping across [...]
North Atlantic Islander
Published on 10 Mar 2010 at 7:32 am.
4 Comments.
Filed under America, Australia, Britain, ancient mysteries, dummkopf!.
Send a message … list your race as “American.” That’s Mark Krikorian’s principled census suggestion at HotAir:
Read ‘North Atlantic Islander’
About That Armada
Published on 3 Mar 2010 at 10:35 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under ancient mysteries, books, history.
Found on the bookshelves one I’d forgotten I had: England and the Spanish Armada: The Necessary Quarrel by James McDermott. Published at the same time as Neil Hanson’s The Confident Hope of a Miracle: The True Story of the Spanish Armada, which I’ve raved about earlier, Necessary Quarrel is a very different take.
1688
Published on 20 Feb 2010 at 9:36 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under America, Britain, ancient mysteries, history.
Some astute reader just picked up this ”Glorious Revolution” take via the site’s Amazon links. 1688, The First Modern Revolution, by Steve Pincus. Looks great. Summary, reviews plus gratuitous Anglophilic frog-bashing commentary:
Confident Hope Of A Miracle
Published on 17 Feb 2010 at 8:50 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under Britain, Spain, ancient mysteries, books, history, pols, science.
Still love that title. If you haven’t once confidently hoped for a miracle, you probably haven’t lived. But there are some circumstances that call for miracles, and then there are others. Here’s a review of The Confident Hope of a Miracle: The True Story of the Spanish Armada by Neil Hanson, plus a quickie on Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: [...]
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Crawling Back
Published on 17 Feb 2010 at 8:45 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under Live Forever Or Die Trying!, ancient mysteries, different.
Update. It’s a good news, bad news scenario. Now nearly three weeks out from that back incident* and still waking up/standing up with leg spasms and related issues. Got an appointment for the hospital’s charmingly named ”Pain Clinic,” where they’ll decide whether it’s time for the first cortisone shot. Still on industrial-strength drugs, though fewer. Not good.
But making progress. Two steps [...]
WhoDat And The Why?
Published on 8 Feb 2010 at 8:15 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries, geezerdom, sports.
Epic come-from-behind win for WhoDat from Katrinaville. It was a joy to watch. I’m only slightly less of a football ignoramus than Roger Daltrey, generally don’t watch games that don’t involve the Pats, and went into it not much giving a damn who won. Except that in those circumstances I’ll generally like a scrappy underdog, [...]
Small World
Published on 30 Jan 2010 at 11:08 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under America, Britain, Obama, ancient mysteries, pols.
After all. Boston Herald:
It probably shouldn’t come as a big surprise that both President Obama and U.S. Sen.-elect Scott Brown can count a politician among their ancestors.
But the same one?
Retro-Moonbattery
Published on 14 Dec 2009 at 11:10 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under America, ancient mysteries, cars, moronocy, warmalism, western civilization.
Moonbattery digs deep into the archives to the ”last time the Progressive Left had the level of political and cultural dominance it enjoys today … the early to mid-1970s.” That’s a debatable point, but the wackiness of the rebordered 38 United States isn’t.
Good, Cheap, Tough, Built To Last
Published on 29 Nov 2009 at 9:56 am.
5 Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries, engineering, explosives, impending doom!, western civilization.
Checking in at Amazon, I noticed they are pushing Casio G-Shocks. Two thumbs up. I’ve been wearing G-Shocks for about 20 years. From the bottom of the North Atlantic, through blizzards high in the mountains of New England. (Through blizzards on the North Atlantic, now that I think of it, with mountainous 15-foot seas crashing on [...]
Read ‘Good, Cheap, Tough, Built To Last’
Nerds Don’t Wanna Have Fun
Published on 31 Oct 2009 at 4:55 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under ancient mysteries, nerds, sex.
Sad but true. Apparently they’re all too busy playing with their slide rules. MIT sex survey finds many remain in the control group. Boston Herald:
Read ‘Nerds Don’t Wanna Have Fun’
Leadership Secrets Of Attila The Hun
Published on 21 Oct 2009 at 11:10 pm.
No Comments.
Filed under Noble savages, ancient mysteries, books, history.
Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, 20th Anniversary edition,* just crossed the transom at work. Remember when? Some cynics might say the cruel realities of the early ’90s and pretty much the entire the ’00s would tend to render ridiculous any cultish macho business self-help books from the ’80s. Bah. What’s a Hun care about a bunch of junk [...]
Read ‘Leadership Secrets Of Attila The Hun’
Homo Wimpy-ens
Published on 21 Oct 2009 at 11:05 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under Australia, Neanderthals, ancient mysteries, anthronerdism, men.
That’s what you’ve evolved into, if you’re a bloke, according to “Manthropology: The Science of the Inadequate Modern Male.”
The Truth May Be … Out There
Published on 16 Oct 2009 at 11:59 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under America, TV, UFOs, aircraft, ancient mysteries.
My local radio talk-show pal Michael Graham questions whether its a hoax. How could anyone plan anything that would fly the way that did and attract the kind of attention that did? And what kind of gain could he possibly expect?
I dunno. The guy’s showing all the signs of being a full-throttle crackpot visionary. He claims [...]
Read ‘The Truth May Be … Out There’
Monkey Business
Published on 2 Oct 2009 at 9:29 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under ancient mysteries, anthronerdism, apes.
No, this isn’t about David Letterman … heh heh, ba-dum-dum …
You’ve read the breathless newsbriefs and cheap tabloid simian jokes. Boston Herald: Study throws monkey wrench into ape evolution. Good one!
So what the heck is it, and what does it really mean? Who’s going to explain it all, with cutting, edgy anthrosnark? Everyone’s favorite superlative anthroblogger, [...]
How To Live Forever Part 2
Published on 4 Sep 2009 at 9:31 am.
6 Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries, beer, explosives, impending doom!, sex, sports.
Drink more beer. OK, that’s not exactly what it says. But here’s the latest astonishing healthy lifestyle study results, via MSNBC, with a nod to Military.com:
Read ‘How To Live Forever Part 2’
It’s A Small World After All
Published on 29 Jul 2009 at 10:42 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under Britain, Irish, Neanderthals, Obama, ancient mysteries, history, racism.
Here’s something for three Irishmen to marvel at over beers on the White House lawn. Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sgt. James Crowley may be related, according to ABC, sharing descent from a legendary 4th century Irish warrior. O’Bama, of course, hails from Moneygall.
Anyway, the racism thing didn’t pan out, but if anyone wants to find some [...]
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Piece Of Work In Progress
Published on 17 Jun 2009 at 2:30 am.
5 Comments.
Filed under America, ancient mysteries, blogs.
Great name of the new blog of the funny and weird Dan Collins, a.k.a. Vermontaigne, because he lives in that state somewhat left and north of where I am currently located that was for some weird part of its history not even part of the United States. When every other state around it was.
Read ‘Piece Of Work In Progress’
This Day In History
Published on 1 Jun 2009 at 12:01 pm.
4 Comments.
Filed under Britain, ancient mysteries, history, military.
Kent being the center of a spreading revolt against Parliament, sparked by the banning of Christmas celebrations in December 1647, that became known as the Second English Civil War; on the afternoon of June 1, 1648, the New Model Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax fronted up at the bridges over the Medway at Maidstone.
Fairfax, with his force of about [...]
Getting Cheney
Published on 17 May 2009 at 8:42 am.
7 Comments.
Filed under Cheney, ancient mysteries, media, pols.
The first thing you need to understand about him is his strange power to induce irrationality in his opponents, even greater possibly than the similar power wielded by Bush. It will be the stuff academic careers are built on. For now, we have to make do with the media and punditry, their descriptions of the raw [...]
Meanwhile, In Space
Published on 16 May 2009 at 9:31 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under ancient mysteries, science.
Going off Earth for a moment, van der Leun at American Digest puts all these terrestial squabbles into perspective. It’s about some of the fundamental ways in which humans rock. When they are not being petty, corrupt, etc. With Hamlet.
Yankee Ingenuity
Published on 3 Feb 2009 at 11:16 pm.
No Comments.
Filed under America, ancient mysteries, dummkopf!, science.
At Maggie’s Farm, where they have cracked the secret of Reynolds Wrap. There’s a pushy-in thingy at the each end of the box, to keep the foil roll from popping out. Helpful demonstration photo at the link. And if you shelled out a little extra tin for the metallic pink and blue, chances are you won’t have [...]
Kumbayah, My Whatever
Published on 23 Dec 2008 at 8:44 am.
No Comments.
Filed under America, GWOT, God, ancient mysteries, celeb, other.
I was getting ready to snark on this Melissa Etheridge post at Huffpo, as heartfelt celeb activist statements are eminently snarkable. But it actually seems to represent a sincere effort to bridge divides, understand others, and get away from labeling everyone a homophobe who doesn’t like the way a handful of judges are reordering society … to [...]
Veni Vidi Credit Crunchi*
Published on 2 Dec 2008 at 10:15 pm.
No Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries, money.
John Hawks, commenting news of the Roman credit crunch of 88 BC, and Cicero’s observations on the importance of kicking A on an upstart potentate located a little north of Iraq and Iran to resolve that, notes that the Romans came through OK for another half a millenium or so, more or less.
The glorious days of empire may still be [...]
Read ‘Veni Vidi Credit Crunchi*’
Putting On The Sitz
Published on 24 Nov 2008 at 9:07 am.
No Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries, assorted shit, butts, culture, deep thot, do-goodism, dummkopf!, elsewhere, engineering, explosives, ground views, law & order, moronocy, pot, science, shameless opportunism, song, taxes, western civilization.
Better late than never. It was World Toilet Day Nov. 19. I let it go at the time.* But now squatters are back in the news. The la-di-da loos of Times Square. AP via Boston Herald. I’m inspired:
Tomb of Maximus
Published on 16 Oct 2008 at 9:37 pm.
No Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries.
… Located. OK, not exactly. It’s the tomb of a ranking general and proconsul, Marcus Nonius Macrinus, who served under Marcus Aurelius conducting operations on the Germanic tribes in the 2nd century, on whom the character in “Gladiator” was partially based. UK Telegraph:
Mythic Alpha Male Rides In From The West
Published on 28 Sep 2008 at 10:36 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries, pols.
Roundup of commentary that seeks the deeper meaning of it all starts Washington Post’s Broder, going Goodall. In the Gombe reserve that was the Oxford stage, Obama submitted to alpha chimp McCain:
Read ‘Mythic Alpha Male Rides In From The West’
Shade-Tree Rocket Science
Published on 21 Sep 2008 at 10:49 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under ancient mysteries, money, pols.
The workings of the economy make brain surgery look as simple as rocket science. I’m not particularly happy about becoming a partner in the insurance business and underwriting other people’s bad investments. I don’t like bailouts. I didn’t like the big airline bailout after 9/11, I didn’t like the big immigrant … excuse me, I mean illegal [...]
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The Idiossey
Published on 1 Sep 2008 at 8:21 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under Obama, ancient mysteries, literary.
Once again Iowahawk attempts to impress us with his passing knowledge of the great works of literature … and succeeds. In Iowahawk’s mitts, the blind old Greek’s ramblings soar. The Idiossey is a stunning tour de force of boring old stuff made funny. Bravo, maestro.
Book the First: A question for the Muse
Speak to me, O Muse, of [...]
Bring Out Yer Dead Royals
Published on 29 May 2008 at 10:14 pm.
5 Comments.
Filed under Britain, ancient mysteries.
Stonehenge as royal burial ground? Could be. You gotta stick your dead royals somewhere. I prefer to think of the old rockpile as Party Town. I bet they had a big party whenever the king bought the farm.
Read ‘Bring Out Yer Dead Royals’
It Takes A Hummer Village
Published on 22 May 2008 at 9:52 am.
4 Comments.
Filed under America, Britain, Neanderthals, ancient mysteries, cars, hated Crusaders, oil.
Hummer Village of Norwood is where you go if you want to buy a Hummer in Massachusetts. We sent Mike Underwood there for a story on gas prices and people who don’t give a damn. They offered him a Hummer for a day. No “hummer” jokes please. I already made them all, until Underwood begged [...]
Read ‘It Takes A Hummer Village’
Politically Incorrect Usage
Published on 4 May 2008 at 9:04 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under ancient mysteries, linguistics.
Greek Lesbians sue to prevent Greek lesbians from misappropriating the word “lesbian.” Reuters via Andrew Bolt:
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Good Turn Returned
Published on 1 May 2008 at 9:02 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under Boy Scouts, ancient mysteries.
A Boy Scout’s good deed returning a wallet with $800 in it brings his own missing wallet back to him. Sounds like a Saturday Evening Post cover, but it’s true. Grand Rapids Press:
Dino Poo
Published on 30 Apr 2008 at 11:24 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries.
Gets $960 at auction. An Ohio poo professional scored at the Bonhams New York auction. I think they could have got a lot more for it on eBay.* Akron Beacon-Journal:
Channeling Lawrence
Published on 28 Apr 2008 at 7:30 am.
No Comments.
Filed under Arabs, ancient mysteries.
“Do not try to do too much with your own hands. Better the Arabs do it tolerably than that you do it perfectly. It is their war, and you are to help them, not to win it for them.”
Bateman takes this currently stylish T.E. Lawrence quote and does the scholarly archaeology to put the charming artifact and [...]
Age of Discrimination
Published on 16 Apr 2008 at 11:30 pm.
3 Comments.
Filed under ancient mysteries, pols.
Murtha re McCain: He’s too old to be president. McCain re Murtha: Shut up, you old geezer. OK, that’s not exactly how he said it. Reuters:
Just Ask Don
Published on 5 Apr 2008 at 7:36 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under ancient mysteries.
How many lies can a Clinton tell if a Clinton is quoted 5 times? West by God Virginia’s own holler sophisticate mulls and answers these and other questions. His deep thots re monkey chauvinism, koala evolution, school choice and the upside of global warming … brisket of Turner?
An Ear for an Ear
Published on 28 Mar 2008 at 7:50 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under ancient mysteries, hated Crusaders, justice, law & order.
Ancient justice advocated for a Finnish tourist’s vandalism of ancient mystery statues on Easter Island. via Boston Herald:
Party Town Rocks
Published on 31 Jan 2007 at 1:49 am.
10 Comments.
Filed under Britain, ancient mysteries, beer, sex.
My father-in-law is a mountain of a man, a big gruff old New England fisherman whose people came across from Scotland to Nova Scotia God knows when, then down to New England, whaling, fishing, firefighting, moving rocks around. He’s got the biggest hands I’ve ever seen. I found him placing stones in a stone wall [...]
