Had Wardenclyffe been completed without interruption, Tesla may have once again managed to alter the course of history. Instant access to power, information, pirated phonograph cylinders, and lewd photos of bare-ankled floozies on the TeslaNet may have ushered in the Information Age almost a century ahead of schedule, making today's world a very different place indeed. Perhaps one day we will enjoy the future that Tesla envisioned, albeit a bit behind schedule.
From Damn Interesting: http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=703#more-703
-- John
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Dear American
This was emailed to me and I thought it was quite clever:
Dear American:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.
I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.
This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.
Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Yours Faithfully,
Minister of Treasury Paulson
-- John
Dear American:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.
I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.
This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.
Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Yours Faithfully,
Minister of Treasury Paulson
-- John
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Drinking Healthy?
BEER
Drink This:
Guinness Draught
126 calories
10 g. carbohydrates
Not That:
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
175 calories
14 g. carbohydrates
Save 49 calories a beer!
Surprised? Most people think of Guinness as a beer milk shake: dark, thick, and rich enough to inspire guilt along with the intense pleasure. But a 12-ounce mug is as low in calories as many watery light beers, and it can save you up to 50 calories over other full-flavored brews, such as Sierra Nevada. Switch out a six-pack a week and you'll save yourself more than 4 pounds this year. Brilliant!
Sip smartly
Stick with this bottle because the Extra Stout version packs an extra 50 calories.
From an MSN article on making healthy food choices.
-- John
Drink This:
Guinness Draught
126 calories
10 g. carbohydrates
Not That:
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
175 calories
14 g. carbohydrates
Save 49 calories a beer!
Surprised? Most people think of Guinness as a beer milk shake: dark, thick, and rich enough to inspire guilt along with the intense pleasure. But a 12-ounce mug is as low in calories as many watery light beers, and it can save you up to 50 calories over other full-flavored brews, such as Sierra Nevada. Switch out a six-pack a week and you'll save yourself more than 4 pounds this year. Brilliant!
Sip smartly
Stick with this bottle because the Extra Stout version packs an extra 50 calories.
From an MSN article on making healthy food choices.
-- John
Monday, August 18, 2008
Walking Around in Someone Else's Shoes
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." - Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird
I've always been a big fan of the idea of putting oneself into someone's shoes before passing judgement - the quote above illustrates the idea best. I look at any situation where judgment is called and first try to see all sides - I mean how can you make any determination without considering everything. I don't understand people who stubbornly have an opinion or make an uneducated decision about something without first looking at all the facts - seems ignorant to me and it contributes to the decline of modern sensibility.
Empathy is another word that has been forgotten - I think at one time the enlightened human would empathize with those around them - there was a sensitivity that these days is lacking in both people and society in general. I think that's why so many special interest groups have sprung-up - it makes it easier for people to focus on one thing rather than on everything. Speaking of special interest groups - I can understand people unitiing under a specific cause, but sometimes it's taken so far that it becomes the antithesis of the original idea. The problem with most special interest groups is that the group as an entity develops its own needs that go over-and-above the original cause. When that happens it focus is on the group itself rather than the cause - case in point charitable institutions that spend most of the money donated on infrastructure and salaries, so that very little actually goes to those the group was created to support. Before donating any money make sure you look up how the funds are disbursed - I think you'll be unconfortably surprised at how little is actually contributed to those in need.
Having lived in Atlanta for some time it is always distressing to see pandhandlers with signs reading "Need Money for Food. God Bless" at the exit ramps. I used to always donate whatever change I had but now I ignore them, which is so against my basic personality of trying to help people in need. The problem is that I don't know if the person is actually in need or if he's trying to collect enough for a rock to smoke. As an experiment, while living in Little Five Points I rolled up to a guy at the curb with a similar sign and said "I don't have any money but I'm willing to pick up something for you at McDonalds" - the guy said "That's OK I don't want to lose my spot" and turned away. It just validated my point - I'd rather spend a little on a charity I know is actually disbursing funds to those in need, than give up that dollars worth of change in my center console. It sucks but my cynism prevails.
-- John
I've always been a big fan of the idea of putting oneself into someone's shoes before passing judgement - the quote above illustrates the idea best. I look at any situation where judgment is called and first try to see all sides - I mean how can you make any determination without considering everything. I don't understand people who stubbornly have an opinion or make an uneducated decision about something without first looking at all the facts - seems ignorant to me and it contributes to the decline of modern sensibility.
Empathy is another word that has been forgotten - I think at one time the enlightened human would empathize with those around them - there was a sensitivity that these days is lacking in both people and society in general. I think that's why so many special interest groups have sprung-up - it makes it easier for people to focus on one thing rather than on everything. Speaking of special interest groups - I can understand people unitiing under a specific cause, but sometimes it's taken so far that it becomes the antithesis of the original idea. The problem with most special interest groups is that the group as an entity develops its own needs that go over-and-above the original cause. When that happens it focus is on the group itself rather than the cause - case in point charitable institutions that spend most of the money donated on infrastructure and salaries, so that very little actually goes to those the group was created to support. Before donating any money make sure you look up how the funds are disbursed - I think you'll be unconfortably surprised at how little is actually contributed to those in need.
Having lived in Atlanta for some time it is always distressing to see pandhandlers with signs reading "Need Money for Food. God Bless" at the exit ramps. I used to always donate whatever change I had but now I ignore them, which is so against my basic personality of trying to help people in need. The problem is that I don't know if the person is actually in need or if he's trying to collect enough for a rock to smoke. As an experiment, while living in Little Five Points I rolled up to a guy at the curb with a similar sign and said "I don't have any money but I'm willing to pick up something for you at McDonalds" - the guy said "That's OK I don't want to lose my spot" and turned away. It just validated my point - I'd rather spend a little on a charity I know is actually disbursing funds to those in need, than give up that dollars worth of change in my center console. It sucks but my cynism prevails.
-- John
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Lyrics to Star Trek Theme Song
In case you've never read them before:
"Beyond
The rim of the star-light
My love
Is wand'ring in star-flight
I know
He'll find in star-clustered reaches,
Love,
Strange love a star woman teaches.
I know
His journey ends never
His star trek
Will go on forever.
But tell him
While he wanders his starry sea
Remember, remember me."
The one and only Gene Roddenberry. Wow!...
-- John
"Beyond
The rim of the star-light
My love
Is wand'ring in star-flight
I know
He'll find in star-clustered reaches,
Love,
Strange love a star woman teaches.
I know
His journey ends never
His star trek
Will go on forever.
But tell him
While he wanders his starry sea
Remember, remember me."
The one and only Gene Roddenberry. Wow!...
-- John
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)