Well, I feel safe

Different even in death

This is one of the things that fascinates me about America. In Britain, the law requires that you be buried in a pine box that will eventually rot away. This makes room for later inmates and the sexton's job that much easier. In America, the law requires that you be buried in a metal casket that weighs a ton, stuck in a concrete vault that has about as much chance of decaying as the pyramids.

The amazing thing is, I don't think anyone outside of some faceless bureaucrats ever gave any of this more than a second's thought. At one time, burial rite were the stuff of religion, status, and culture. Now they're the result of the stroke of a pen.

Lord Summerisle, call your service

Why am I not surprised?

A meeting of Titans

James Lileks and I are mentioned in the same blog posting.

For some reason, the commenters seem a bit disteracted

How trains stay on the rails

I had the honour of meeting Dr Feynman when he was alive (how else?) and this was what it was like to talk to him. You just said "hello" and stood back.

What's next? The Apocalypse?

MyNortwest.com headline:

Computer glitch causes liquor shortage

How is this affecting me? Imagine Bernard Black's reaction and you've got mine.

Jet-propelled Ford

A Ford F-150 with a jet engine in the back? Even with the air intake smack against the reaer windscreen,okay. The guy can get it started? I'll buy that. Reach 516 MPH without running out of fuel in ten seconds or flipping over when the truck starts acting like an airfoil? Not a chance.

Birds of a feather?

The word "fascist" has started to be mentioned in connection with Mr Barack Hussein Obama–and I don't mean the black helicopter, Freemasons-fearing fringe types. And I hate to admit it, but it's becoming harder to dismiss the idea that the label couldn't possibly fit. It's bad enough when The One sides with the likes of Ortega, Chavez, and the ghost of Castro in demanding that a would-be dictator be reinstated while he soft steps around Iran for fear of "meddling", but when he and his administration comment on the opposition of a Congressman with the words,

Stunning that he would ignore the wishes not just of his president, but of his constituents and the country.

Since when have the "wishes" of the president ever counted for anything with Congress? There are some pretty nasty possibilites coming to light about Mr Obama's ideology and I sincerely want to be wrong about what they are.

This is surprising?

Slate headline:

How McDonald's Conquered France

I'm only guessing, but maybe by doing what everyone else did since Joan of Arc.

Show up.

All that trouble for nothing

On a happier note, the Greeks have built a new museum to house the Elgin Marbles, which have about as much chance of returning to Athens as I have of taking up break dancing.

Yet another nail

Burke's Peerage has thrown out principle of primogeniture and will no longer list offspring according to right of succession, but by order of birth. And they'll be including bastards in the lists as well.

William Bortrick, Burke’s recently appointed wet behind the ears Jacobin Executive and Royal Editor, calls this "bring(ing) Burke’s into the 21st century" and apparently regards this as a good thing. The little vandal will be chucking slates off the roof next.

I have another way of describing this, which involves another definition of "burke".

Another nail

Wimbledon has ceased to refer to female (remember when they were ladies?) players as Miss or Mrs.

I knew sport was in terminal decline when the cricketing world stopped distinguishing between gentlemen and players. Now it's augured straight into the bedrock.

Future Fashion

Men's fashions... of the FUTURE!

Robotable

Great. Now when I go down the pub I have to worry about my table running off to hunt for Sarah Connor.

Stealing a Model T

Ever since the lads on Top Gear had a look at the controls layouts of the first cars I've had a fascination with that gloriously complicated bit of machinery, the Model T. Not only was it one of the most successful cars in history, but it was so mind-bogglingly complicated to start that it's a wonder that anyone ever managed to steal one.

In case you ever wish to, here's how.

City of Domes

Now where have we seen this sort of thing before?

The Saint Closes the Case

X the Unknown

Jackson, Fawcett RIP

Farrah Fawcett dies after a prolonged battle with cancer, age 62. Michael Jackson dies of a sudden heart attack, age 50.

What a bizarre juxtaposition. On the same day, a moderately successful actress passes on after a very private fight is carried out very much in the public eye. Meanwhile, an incredibly successful, though why is a complete mystery to me, pop singer's life turns into a freak show that simply ends as if cut off by a large, curved agricultural implement.

But then, death leads a varied... existence.

What is you gave a propoganda broadcast and nobody watched?

It looks as though Mr Barack Hussein Obama's attempt to subvert the already tarnished integrity of ABC News by turning it into an arm of Minitru didn't come off quite as planned. Not only did the Chavezesque show deliver less than sterling ratings (against a load of comedy repeats no less), but there were other problems as well.

When The One wasn't making prescriptions for how to handle elderly patients (Expensive operations? Just take some painkillers.), he let this brick drop when a neurologist broke through the cordon and asked Mr Obama if he'd pledge that he and his family would live under the same public health care restrictions as the peasantry. Quote the messiah,

(If) it’s my family member, if it’s my wife, if it’s my children, if it’s my grandmother, I always want them to get the very best care.

Whatever else, Mr Obama has job security. With that kind of hypocrisy, he can always get a cabinet post under New Labour.

Stealth WPC-500F

Finally, a PC built for the sort of sailing that I do–or end up doing whether I like it or not.

Wallaby crop circles

According to the BBC, wallabies getting stoned on poppies and making crop circles.

This is more of a breakthrough than you might think. We not only have opium poppies growing wild in Britain, owing to some local councils who didn't read the seed packets properly, but there are also wallabies living on the Yorkshire Moors. They're good fun. You can always tell a dog who'd come across one because even very large bunnies tend not to punch one in the nose and it's always worth a laugh down the pub to look mystified while some rambler from down south tries to reveal that he thought he saw a kangaroo that afternoon.

Then we find out they're responsible for all that mashed-down corn as well. Now all we need to do is find out if wallabies were around during the Bronze Age and we'll have Stonehenge sorted out as well.

Port-Pizza Oven

If this pizza oven designed to be used in your car strikes you as just the ticket, then you need to step back and reassess you life.