I Love Wikipedia

(Where "I" is David, Joe, and Sarah)

Nov 22
“The term piece of shit has greater precision than shit or shitty in that piece of shit identifies the low quality of a specific component or output of a process without applying a derogatory slant to the entire process. For example, if one said “The inner city youth orchestra has been a remarkably successful initiative in that it has kept young people off the streets after school and exposed them to culture and discipline, thereby improving their self esteem and future prospects. The fact that the orchestra’s recent rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony in B minor was pretty much a piece of shit should not in any way detract from this.” The substitution of shit or shitty for pretty much a piece of shit would imply irony and would therefore undermine the strength of the statement.” Shit
Posted at 1:32pm

Nov 12
The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) is a bird in the Sulidae family…The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means “Stupid” or “Fool”/”Clown”. This is because the Blue-footed Booby is clumsy on the land.

The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) is a bird in the Sulidae family…The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means “Stupid” or “Fool”/”Clown”. This is because the Blue-footed Booby is clumsy on the land.
Posted at 2:50am

Nov 11
“On The Howard Stern Show, Dave Stewart explained that the title’s phrase was actually uttered by Stevie. She had broken up with Joe Walsh the night before, and invited Dave Stewart to her place for a party after an early Eurythmics show in L.A. Dave didn’t know who she was at the time, but went anyway. When the party goers all disappeared to a bathroom for a couple of hours to snort cocaine, he decided to go upstairs to bed. He woke up at 5am to find Stevie Nicks in his room trying on Victorian clothing and described the entire scenario as very much reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Later that morning, she told Joe Walsh, “Don’t come around here no more”.” Don’t Come Around Here No More
Posted at 10:26pm

Nov 5

List of Cats With Fraudulent Diplomas

“On several occasions, people who desired to expose a diploma mill have registered their pet cat as a student. Upon its speedy graduation, the cat and its diploma are displayed to the news media.”

Posted at 10:09pm

Nov 4

Cats running for political office

Morris the cat “ran” as a candidate in the U.S. presidential election, 1988 and the U.S. presidential election, 1992. [Morris the Cat (voiced by John Erwin) is the advertising mascot for 9Lives brand cat food, appearing on its packaging and in many of its television commercials. A large red tabby tom, he is “the world’s most finicky cat”, and prefers only 9Lives brand, making this preference clear by means of humorously sardonic voice-over comments when offered other brands. Every can of 9Lives features Morris’s “signature”.]

Katten Mickelin (Mickelin the Cat) was the leader of the Swedish Ezenhemmer Plastic Bags and Child Rearing Utensils Party.

(Via catbus)
Posted at 1:01pm

Oct 9
F.M. Esfandiary changed his name to FM-2030 for two main reasons. Firstly, to reflect the hope and belief that he would live to celebrate his 100th birthday in 2030; Secondly, and more importantly, to break free of the widespread practice of naming conventions that are rooted in a collectivist mentality, and exist only as a relic of humankind’s tribalistic past. Traditional names almost always stamp a label of collective identity - varying from gender, to nationality - on the individual, thereby existing as prima facie elements of thought processes in the human cultural fabric, that tend to degenerate into stereotyping, factionalism, and discrimination. In his own words, “Conventional names define a person’s past: ancestry, ethnicity, nationality, religion. I am not who I was ten years ago and certainly not who I will be in twenty years. […] The name 2030 reflects my conviction that the years around 2030 will be a magical time. In 2030 we will be ageless and everyone will have an excellent chance to live forever. 2030 is a dream and a goal.”

F.M. Esfandiary changed his name to FM-2030 for two main reasons. Firstly, to reflect the hope and belief that he would live to celebrate his 100th birthday in 2030; Secondly, and more importantly, to break free of the widespread practice of naming conventions that are rooted in a collectivist mentality, and exist only as a relic of humankind’s tribalistic past. Traditional names almost always stamp a label of collective identity - varying from gender, to nationality - on the individual, thereby existing as prima facie elements of thought processes in the human cultural fabric, that tend to degenerate into stereotyping, factionalism, and discrimination. In his own words, “Conventional names define a person’s past: ancestry, ethnicity, nationality, religion. I am not who I was ten years ago and certainly not who I will be in twenty years. […] The name 2030 reflects my conviction that the years around 2030 will be a magical time. In 2030 we will be ageless and everyone will have an excellent chance to live forever. 2030 is a dream and a goal.”
Posted at 8:44pm

Oct 6
Pearly Kings and Queens, known as pearlies, are an organised charitable tradition of working class culture in London, England. The practice of wearing clothes decorated with pearl buttons originated in the 19th century. It is first associated with Henry Croft; an orphan street sweeper who collected money for charity. In 1911 an organised pearly society was formed in Finchley, north London. Croft died in January 1930 and his funeral was attended by 400 followers from all over London, receiving national media coverage. In 1934 a memorial was unveiled to him in St Pancras Cemetery and at a speech to mark the occasion he was said to have raised £5,000 for those suffering in London’s hospitals. The statue was later moved to the crypt of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster. The inscription reads: “In memory of Henry Croft who died January 1st 1930 aged 68 years. The original Pearly King.”

Pearly Kings and Queens, known as pearlies, are an organised charitable tradition of working class culture in London, England.

The practice of wearing clothes decorated with pearl buttons originated in the 19th century. It is first associated with Henry Croft; an orphan street sweeper who collected money for charity. In 1911 an organised pearly society was formed in Finchley, north London.

Croft died in January 1930 and his funeral was attended by 400 followers from all over London, receiving national media coverage. In 1934 a memorial was unveiled to him in St Pancras Cemetery and at a speech to mark the occasion he was said to have raised £5,000 for those suffering in London’s hospitals. The statue was later moved to the crypt of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster. The inscription reads:

“In memory of Henry Croft who died January 1st 1930 aged 68 years. The original Pearly King.”
Posted at 3:26pm

Oct 5
Epimedium grandiflorum is a flowering plant which has aphrodisiac characteristics, having been shown to increase sexual activity in goats. It commonly is packed in a capsule with some other ingredients or sold as an herb. It is generally packaged with the name “Horny Goat Weed.”

Epimedium grandiflorum is a flowering plant which has aphrodisiac characteristics, having been shown to increase sexual activity in goats. It commonly is packed in a capsule with some other ingredients or sold as an herb. It is generally packaged with the name “Horny Goat Weed.”
Posted at 2:50pm

Oct 4
Children performing the Bellamy salute to the flag of the United States, Hawaii, March 1941. In the 1920s, Italian fascists adopted the Roman salute to symbolise their claim to have revitalised Italy on the model of ancient Rome. This was quickly copied by the German Nazis, creating the Nazi salute. The similarity to the Bellamy salute led to confusion, especially during World War II. From 1939 until the attack on Pearl Harbor, detractors of Americans who argued against intervention in World War II produced propaganda using the salute to lessen those Americans’ reputations. Among the anti-interventionist Americans was aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh. Supporters of Lindbergh’s views would claim that Lindbergh did not support Adolf Hitler, and that pictures of him appearing to do the Nazi salute were actually pictures of him using the Bellamy salute.

Children performing the Bellamy salute to the flag of the United States, Hawaii, March 1941.

In the 1920s, Italian fascists adopted the Roman salute to symbolise their claim to have revitalised Italy on the model of ancient Rome. This was quickly copied by the German Nazis, creating the Nazi salute. The similarity to the Bellamy salute led to confusion, especially during World War II. From 1939 until the attack on Pearl Harbor, detractors of Americans who argued against intervention in World War II produced propaganda using the salute to lessen those Americans’ reputations. Among the anti-interventionist Americans was aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh. Supporters of Lindbergh’s views would claim that Lindbergh did not support Adolf Hitler, and that pictures of him appearing to do the Nazi salute were actually pictures of him using the Bellamy salute.
Posted at 5:42pm

The EU (before its latest expansion) mapped in marzipan. Made by the Budapest Marzipan Museum.

The EU (before its latest expansion) mapped in marzipan. Made by the Budapest Marzipan Museum.
Posted at 4:53pm

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