Archive for 7/6/2008 - 3 Tamuz, 5768

He got transported back in time to Ancient Rome!

Today’s Old Picture of the Day illustrates that even back in 1938, when gas was at 20 cents a gallon, people complained enough that one gas station owner decided he had to explain how the cost was derived.

Apparently, some research has been conducted

(And I am not as late on learning of this as I was on learning about TWINKIES)

‘After the birth of a child there’s always the temptation to say ‘Yes, it’s cute, but what can it do?’

(I’m not sure of the reliability of this news source…)

Bill Gates and family held and robbed in family home
Oprah Winfrey announces marriage
Oprah hurt in freak highway accident
Drug-related shooting leaves 2 NFL stars fighting for their lives
Trump declares bankruptcy, attempts suicide

Source: My spam folder

[Note: It’s unclear whether Oprah was in the accident before or after her announcement, or whether any of the other news stories are interconnected in some fashion.]

Update: More Breaking News from my spam folder

Tobey Maguire breaks 2 bones in leg after freak hit and run
Intel announces merger with AMD
More tapes of Scarlett Johansson surface
Britney falls during rock-climbing, injures back and arm

(I think the tapes of Scarlett are of her reporting the Intel/AMD merger news.)

The Academy Award winning short film, West Bank Story will be on the Sundance Channel this Friday, July 18th twice - at 7:30 am and 4:35 pm (Central Time)

It’s probably been there before, but I just got AT&T UVerse free for a month, along with a DVR, so I’ve been searching for interesting things to record. This will definitely be stored on my DVR so I can watch it whenever I want. (Yeah, I own the DVD, my cousin stars in it, of course I own the DVD, but I’m sure there will be times I’m too lazy to get up and walk to the DVD cabinet.)

Bob is closer to Easy Street than I am. He even posted a picture of it today.

I will admit I couldn’t have told you that Czechoslovakia was now two countries, Slovakia and The Czech Republic.

However, in January of 1993, when the split happened, I wasn’t beginning my second term as US Senator. And I haven’t been in the US Senate since then, either. I’m not running for President. I really don’t need to know these things.

Hopefully McCain knows that Europe’s most populous city isn’t Constantinople.

According to my gmail account, I am currently using 1789 mb of space in my account.

I have no idea what significance that number might have.

Oh, btw, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!

My method of predicting the all-star game is slightly different from my method of predicting other major sporting events. The numbers the players have on their jerseys is irrelevant.

If I watch the game: the National League has a chance of winning
If I don’t (like I haven’t post-1996): The American League will win.

Bet on the American League. My weekly writer’s group still meets on Tuesdays.

This may sound like old news. Really old news.

I remember when I first started working in the IT department of AG Edwards and Sons back in 1998 and was shocked to learn they were still using 3.11. That was 10 years ago. I no longer work there. AG Edwards no longer exists. (They’re now Wachovia, though all the advertising placards say “AG Edwards is now *with* Wachovia” as if to suggest AG Edwards still exists as a partner.)

But while 3.11 hasn’t been available for years in Retail, non-Retail Original Equipment Manufacters (OEMs) apparently could still embed it.

Windows for Workgroups 3.11 will no longer be licensed to any OEMs as of November 1st.

Here’s a link to the Wikipage for those who want to see the ‘real’ one.

of course **someone** did, predictably, attempt to make a change this morning. It didn’t last.

The ‘in popular culture’ sections of wiki entries can get rather trivial at times.

“When she went back on her word, I was literally beside myself with anger,” Becky said.
“So, like David Banner turns into The Hulk when he gets angry, when you get angry you clone yourself into dupes?” Tom asked.
“Hunh?”
“You said you were literally beside yourself.”
“It’s a metaphor.”
“No. ‘Beside yourself,’ is the metaphor. You added ‘literally’ to it, which means, you’re no longer using it as a metaphor.”
“It can also be used for emphasis.”
“If ‘literally’ is used to emphasize the non-literal, how will we know when ‘literally’ literally means ‘literally?”
“I’m confused.”
“Literally?”

Here’s a basic love poem.

What I tell you three times is true.

to any Canadians who happen to be reading this blog.

I have several Canadian ancestors, though the ancestors of these ancestors were pre-Americans who backed the wrong side in a certain war, the anniversary of which occurs in a few days.

Anyone who has an interest in reading a complete listing of all my known ancestors who immigrated to America - when and from where they came - should read this post on my genealogy blog.