In keeping with this summer's theme of digital artifacts from the 1970's, here's a groovy Kentucky Fried Chicken ad with a real laid back vibe, man. The colonel with the white jacket blows my mind! After a hard day working for The Man, chicken will mellow you out.
From the Harper's Index:
Estimated amount of oil, in barrels, used to make the bottled-water containers sold in the U.S. last year: 16,000,000
In a world of blowhard bloggers ranting about politics and their self important personal issues, it's refreshing to come along a blog like this about the workaday routine of a stay at home dad. Here's a clip about colon cancer, chiggers, rashes, poison ivy, malformed penises, and cats with bloodied ears- y'know - stuff that makes up everyday life.
This 1970's filmstrip describes how a base would be built on the moon! Via Paleo-Future.
Check this one out. Apparently underwear contributed to literacy in medieval times.
Today's clown news comes via the Telegraph and Barney Baloney. This sounds like a case of Lawyers vs Clowns. Every party needs a pooper.
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
Last summer I heard Tony Blair speak at a relatively small gathering, and it was clear that he understood some basic truths about the world.
One topic that rang true: He believes that the world essentially has two faces - those who embrace change and modernism, and those who resist it. Open minded vs. close minded. The closed-minded have nothing to offer a nation. They can only delay change that is coming anyway.
This seems to be closer to the truth of the struggle facing the world today. Not the often used "Good vs. Evil".
Now that he has left office, we will see how history treats him as his legacy was so impacted by his alliance with the U.S. during years of unsavory foreign policy.
Honestly, I feel a bit bad for him. The leader of the UK will always have a close working alliance with the leader of the U.S. We are too similar ideologically to separate.
Blair was a savvy, well spoken leader who had the misfortune of being the PM at the same time the U.S. had a sub par president during very complicated years. But did he have to buy into Bush's follies so fervently?
Watch this clip, and you'll see how Fox News often serves up complete and utter crap. This isn't even close to journalism. Pay close attention to the random video clips used that have nothing to do with the story. While a fear-mongering guest talks about lesbian gangs taking over Washington, D.C., we're shown some meaningless video taken above Turk Street in San Francisco! And that girl fight clip they use was floating around the web weeks ago and, relax, its existence doesn't mean lesbian gangs are overrunning the country...
See more about real facts concerning this bogus news at Reason Magazine here.
This fun site called Modern Mechanix features scanned images from old-time science and mechanics magazines.
From Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Dish:
"We now have a clear and simple illustration of the arrogance of this president. Tell the American people the core narrative of this monarchical presidency: this president believes he is above the law in wiretapping citizens with no court oversight; he has innovated an explosive use of signing statements to declare himself above the law on a bewildering array of other matters, large and small; he has unilaterally declared himself above American law, international law, and U.N. Treaty obligations in secretly authorizing torture; he has claimed the right to seize anyone in the United States, detain them indefinitely without trial and torture them; his vice-president refuses to abide by the law that mandates securing classified documents; and when a court of law finds a friend of the president's guilty, he commutes the sentence."
And this statement from Patrick Fitzgerald who prosecuted the case:
"We fully recognize that the Constitution provides that commutation decisions are a matter of presidential prerogative and we do not comment on the exercise of that prerogative.
We comment only on the statement in which the President termed the sentence imposed by the judge as "excessive." The sentence in this case was imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencings which occur every day throughout this country. In this case, an experienced federal judge considered extensive argument from the parties and then imposed a sentence consistent with the applicable laws. It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals. That principle guided the judge during both the trial and the sentencing.
Although the President's decision eliminates Mr. Libby's sentence of imprisonment, Mr. Libby remains convicted by a jury of serious felonies, and we will continue to seek to preserve those convictions through the appeals process."
President Bush just announced that he is commuting Lewis Libby's sentence claiming that thirty months is too "excessive". Thirty months for treason too excessive? As if things can't go any lower. One word - disgraceful.
Army Captain Phil Carter, now home in Los Angeles after serving in Iraq, has a very good blog about his military experience and the situation in Iraq.
An explanation - dated 6.27.2007 - of "the surge" from Australian army officer Dave Kilcullen, adviser to Gen. David Petraeus in Baghdad, is the shortest and simplest description of the strategy behind the new tactic.
Whether the surge is successful or not, it's the kind of clear info we should be getting from policy-makers along the way.
The offices of the Kenyan government might be a good place for "Seinfeld" character George Costanza to get a job. It seems like there isn't much to do. Story here at BBC.
Scientists are creating diamonds by subjecting peanut butter to extreme pressure. Courtesy of Improbable Research.
In regard to today's car bombing close call in London, here is a photo of a WWII era British poster. Chin up.
This nifty De Dion-Bouton et Trapardoux built in France in 1884 will soon be for sale as the world's oldest car. Got 2 million dollars?
Story here.
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