The Blog of Harald

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”

- George Bernard Shaw

(via Quotation of the Day List)

Anita sent me this:

Academie Duello presents – Modern uses for Historical Swordplay

Will you be ready?

The problem with Space Elevators

(The joke doesn’t work for me in Firefox, because I’m missing a plugin :-(

[stock options are] like my boyfriend’s idea of giving me a diamond. He puts a lump of coal in my hand, tells me to squeeze real tight and be PATIENT.

from Sand Hill Slave

This year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address fall on the same day. As Air America Radio pointed out, “It is an ironic juxtaposition: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, and the other involves a groundhog.”

(via olletho)

If our employers can outsource our jobs, why can’t we?

Smartmoney.com: Esquire Magazine: My Outsourced Life

A new variation on “40% of sick days” from The Angry Economist

In a wide ranging discussion about endangered species, overpopulation, and the enviroment, I mentioned the rabbit problem in Australia.

H: Unfortunately, rabbits have no natural predators in Australia.

G: Except the Tasmanian devil. But I guess Tasmanian devils don’t actually eat rabbits.

three seconds later, M bursts out laughing….

(think about it :-)

I can’t believe I didn’t link to this before!

Squirrel vs. Biker subtitled “ And people ask me what I need a Browning .338 Winchester Magnum for… “

It’s apparently from The December 2004 newsletter of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association of Victoria, BC, but the html link is easier to read.

Did you know that in 1977, a U.S. Patent was issued for the combover? Yes, it’s true, Patent 4,022,227 – Method of concealing partial baldness was issued to Frank and Donald Smith, of Orlando, FL.

I read about it at Damien Katz: Combover where there’s also a link to Combover: The Movie…

Who knew that the fortunes and misfortunes of America were directly tied to the television career of David Hasselhoff?

Now you too can read all about it at Damien Katz: Who moved my Hasselhoff?

tremble.com: we clap on the downbeat

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.

About Process Control (or, “Herding Hung-over, Grumpy, Horny, Undergrad Gerbils”) | D*I*Y Planner

He visually located the big pink sign that said Bookstore, Mandatory Book Drop, stared at it uncomprehendingly for a moment, turned around to acknowledge my instruction with a curt nod and then walked over and proceeded to drop his bag in a huge green recycling bin. Ah, the leaders of tomorrow.

This goes out to all of my writer friends:

“Nobody ever committed suicide while reading a good book, but many have tried while trying to write one.”

- Robert Byrne

(via the Quote of the Day mailing list)

In an article about the difference between the best programmers and the mediocre, this paragraph made me laugh out loud:

In some other industries, cheap is more important than good. Wal*Mart grew to be the biggest corporation on Earth by selling cheap products, not good products. If Wal*Mart tried to sell high quality goods, their costs would go up and their whole cheap advantage would be lost. For example if they tried to sell a tube sock that can withstand the unusual rigors of, say, being washed in a washing machine, they’d have to use all kinds of expensive components, like, say, cotton, and the cost for every single sock would go up.

Gareth’s synopsis:

Cheesy!

later:

Ok, cheesy and predictable!

The classics of my childhood, disemboweled by an eight-year-old… :-)

Eureka! I finally understand :-). The picture at the bottom, with the men reördered by height, did the trick for me.

defective yeti: The Twelve Man / Thirteen Man Problem

Happy (O)e(a)(o)st(e)r(e)… circle the letters that match your belief system

(found on blog of the photo

Today is the first snowfall of spring, a fine Canadian tradition….