Campanastan

Luke Skywalker's Big-Time Screw Up

From the mind of Randall Munroe (XKCD). Click on the graphic to enlarge.

“You’re all clear, kid! Now let’s blow this thing and go home!” - Han Solo

Is One Person's Terrorist Is Another Person's Freedom Fighter?

The title of the post is what I thought of when I saw this picture, Tweeted by someone named Holly R. Fisher.

I think she is the one on the left.

"The rest of my life I will have to take time out of every day to SLOWLY explain this to liberals. Education is key." - Holly R. Fisher

'Proud To Be British' Hoodie: Grammatical Error or Political Statement?

From The Independent. Cute.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves, anyone?

"The reason why the sun never sets on The British Empire is because God doesn't trust the British in the dark." - Unknown

It's National Cat Day! Now, Where's My Breakfast?

Yes, it is National Cat Day - just like every day!

This is Galahad (aka G-had) seeking food.

Okay, thanks for nothing!

"Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose." -- Garrison Keillor

So What's the Third Most Spoken Language in Your State?

It's Russian here in Oregon. Never would have guessed that. I am also surprised at French in some places: the Carolinas, West Virginia. I know that Germans comprise the largest group of European immigrants to the USA but the frequency of German - 16 of the states - was unexpected. 

Click to enlarge.

From Slate.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.  If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela

Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Moron

Hard to believe she really said this. Even harder to recall that a lot of people wanted her to be POTUS.

"I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out under another, then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter. I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence.'' - Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), on the 1976 Swine Flu outbreak that happened when Gerald Ford was president (28 April 2009)

The Secret Service: Finally Going to the Dogs!

Fortunately, the Secret Service has finally gone to the dogs!

"Whenever you're faced with an explanation of what's going on in Washington, the choice between incompetence and conspiracy, always choose incompetence." - Charles Krauthammer

This Man is 70 Years Old; He's Looked Like This Since He Was 35

You go, Keith! 

Maybe he'll outlive me.

"I mean some doctor told me I had six months to live and I went to his funeral." - Keith Richards

Kitties...Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Live Without 'Em, Can't Teach 'Em Anything

Ah, the Funny Times and kitties!

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.” ― Charles Dickens

Infographic: Internet Facts - 2014

Lurie Austin from Host Advice sent this my way. 

Here is the original infographic and story.

Enjoy!

"The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom." - Jon Stewart 

Want Some Fries With That Ebola?

From Jack Ohman. Excellent!

Don't forget the flu - 54,000 deaths per year from influenza and pneumonia. 

 "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West

The Real Banksy Fires a Salvo

From the mind and hands of banksy...

 

"War is god busness - invest your son." - Unknown

The Mysteries of the Author List, Finally Explained

The truth will out!

Click on the graphic to enlarge it.

From PhD Comics via AcademicsSay.

"Academic arguments are the bitterest because the stakes are the lowest." - Unknown, sometimes attributed to Henry Kissinger

What If the Largest Countries Had the Largest Populations?

Interesting post from The Independent.

Read the whole story here. Click on the map to enlarge it.

"Sometimes I think war is God's way of teaching us geography." - Paul Rodriguez

Ebola: The Story Behind That @BW Cover

I'm sure you were taken aback when this recent issue of Bloomberg Businessweek hit the stands last week. I sure was.

The cover struck me as being over the top, to put it mildly. Sensationalism, anybody? This 'cover trail' recently appeared:

Here is the story behind 'that cover'.

“It’s not true that you never learn from history. You do, but then you forget.” – Martin Wolf

Correlation and Causation...Explained

Where else? At xkcd!

By the way - Randall Munroe's book is out. 

I had a statistics class like this in grad school. I think it helped me, too.

"Statistics always remind me of the fellow who drowned in a river whose average depth was only three feet." - Woody Hayes

Show Me Your Gun Stores and I'll...I'll...I'll Show You This Map!

Not sure how significant this is but it's here's an interesting graphic from Christopher Ingraham at the Washington Post. 

 

Go to the original source to see an interactive version Wonder how one would count a combination gun shop - gun museum? 

Don't forget - you can find a lot of knowledge on the Internet, and all of it is true!

For some reason this graphic reminds me of Warren Zevon's Lawyers, Guns and Money. 

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, so why should we let them have ideas?" - Joseph Stalin

Cat Washing Made Simple; Disapproval Expressed

Cute, even for a cat lover.

 Galahad is NOT amused! He's wishing he had opposable thumbs so that he could purchase and use a handgun.

 

"What greater gift than the love of a cat.” - Charles Dickens

"Dream on." - Unknown

Feline Revenge: Accidents Do Happen

Mary Frances sent me this picture. Galahad is looking at me right now with a similar mien.

"A cat is an example of sophistication minus civilization." - Anonymous

A Book for the Ages: The Atlas of Prejudice

Check it out here: The Atlas of Prejudice.

Some samples follow.

What's with the 'WTF?' for the South Caucasus?

Wonderful!

Thanks to Fast Company.

"Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts." - E.B. White

Philosophers, Economists & Artists (Thanks to Banksy)

From the mind and hand of graffiti artist Banksy.

I've also posted this graphic on my WaterWired blog today, albeit with a specific interpretation: how we view water.

"Philosophers are people who don't want what they can't get." - Unknown

Why Cat Racing Is So Boring

As if I had to tell you this.

And here is what Galahad thinks of this.

"Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose." -- Garrison Keillor

As St. Louis Goes, So Goes the USA?

From today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch (click to read the story).

Kind of tells it like it is in the greater St. Louis area. I suspect a similar tale would be true for other major metropolitan areas, especially if you add other people of color. 

Thanks to Brian Stelzer.

"Don't mistake politeness for lack of strength." - Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (quoted in United Press International, via The Week)

Down the Drain? No Comment!

Down the drain?

From Banksy.

"Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a fucking sharp knife to it.” ― Banksy, Wall and Piece

Tuesday Thoughts...Questioning The Ice Bucket Challenge

Nice photo.

I'm not excited about the ice bucket challenge. Can't understand why? Read comments from Michael Hiltzik (especially) and Noah Frank. 

But one thing is for sure: it's an ingenious gimmick that has paid off (not just financially) handsomely for the ALS charities. Let's hope it benefits the victims of this horrible disease. 

Your thoughts are solicited and appreciated.

 "If something cannot go on forever, it will stop." - Herbert Stein

Perception is Reality: White is the New Black?

Spanish retailer Zara recently unveiled its new T-shirt.

I suspect Zara was referring to fashion colors, but they have been taken aback by the backlash as many are interpreting the T-shirt as racist at worst and insensitive at best. 

Taken aback? One thing for sure: Zara's got some clueless marketing people.

Thoughts?

“I'll take crazy over stupid any day.” ― Joss Whedon

Students, Listen Up: The Best Thesis Defense is a Good Thesis Offense!

And make sure it is very sharp.

From the genius of Randall Munroe at xkcd.

"I've always felt so grateful that I dropped out of school, that I never had to do a thesis. I wouldn't know how to organize and structure myself to film so that B follows A and C follows B." - Michael Moore

After 'Sharknado2' Success, SyFy Stretches: 'Terror Train Tortoise'

Why there are no trains on the Galapagos Islands.

"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere." - Anakin Skywalker

Dana 'Moron' McLendon's 'Hot Crazy Matrix' Guide to Women (and Men)

Oh, yeah. From the good folks at Tactical Response. See the blog post here.

Note that McLendon is carrying a piece. I guess that's to keep all those 'crazy bitches' away. Or maybe his host (a tranny?), who's probably packin' heat, too.

At least he has a a guide to men, which of course, disparages women as well. 

I was waiting for McLendon's version of the (in)famous 'Trophy Wife Age Law': Age = (N/2) + 7, where N = age of the man (some claim the constant is "-7" for N > 60). Sometimes this is called 'Domenico's Law', after the late Pat Domenico from whom I first heard it. We could also call this the 'Boy Toy Age Law' - such parlance was not in use when the law was formulated.

I'm unsure a rigorous proof has ever been published.

Too bad McLendon's a lawyer and not a mathematician. It would have been nice see his graph expressed as a set of equations. 

 

“The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: 'It's a girl.'” ― Shirley Chisholm

Tomahawk Missile? You Mean the Boomerang Missile. Now, About Those Sanctions...

From The Week.

"Boomerang: what the Tomahawk missile is called after the Russian hackers." - Unknown

Math Lab Bust in Kentucky! Flim at Elevin!

Welcome to August!

Did you hear about the recent 'Math Lab Bust' in Laurel County, KY? The perps were caught red-handed with the tools of the trade - Klein bottles and Riemannian manifolds!

Picture courtesy of WLEX-18 in Lexington, KY. 

Sure to show up on an episode of Justified.

Enjoy!

“I have never in my life seen a Kentuckian who didn't have a gun, a pack of cards, and a jug of whiskey.” - Andrew Jackson

More Solid Science: How the Dinosaurs Died

From our friends at the Creation Research Society.

 Only kidding about the CRS!

Of course, all this happneed just a few thousand years ago.

"I'm saying, Come on, the global warming thing? How did the ice melt during the ice ages? Was the dinosaurs driving SUVs around back then?" - Larry the Cable Guy

When the Shoe's on the Other Foot...or Something Like That

"If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament." - attributed to Florynce Kennedy

Visions of the 'Six Californias' Concept

What can I say? Read the story.

 

"Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things." - George Carlin

Honesty: Always the Best Policy?

Love this.

"They say that in the end truth will triumph, but it's a lie." - Anton Chekhov

How to Conflate Climate Change and the Public Discourse

"The climate system is an angry beast, and we are poking it with sticks." -- Wallace Broecker

Math Tells Us Three of the Saddest Love Stories

From Science Porn.

"There are three kinds of people in the world: those who are good at math and those who are not". - James Wilberg, 2006 World Champion Liar

Today's Education?

Thanks to Elaine J. Hanford for sending this my way.

'A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.' - Henry Adams

Graph: What You Think of Your Professor v. Time

 Cute. From PhD Comics. 

"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children." - Dan Quayle

Guitar Man, Circa 1989: Already Gone to the Hotel California to Read My Back Pages

Ah, the good ol' days - this must be 25 years old.....

Where was I and what was I playing? Click here. Or maybe it was this one. No wait - try this.

At the Hotel Hargis in La Jolla, CA. Photo by Sadie.

Dream on....

Tanya Tucker has a great version of Already Gone. When she says she's already gone, you KNOW she's outta there. 

One of the best lines anywhere:

"So often times it happens
That we live our lives in chains 
And we never even know we have the key."
   -- Already Gone by Jack Tempchin & Robb Strandlund

MY HRS LDY BELTD BD PRSNT ARRVD TDY!

My belated birthday present to my 'HRS LDY' ('horse lady') Mary Frances arrived today!

 

"A good listener is usually thinking about something else." - Frank Hubbard

The Venn Diagram of Life: Hitting the Sweet Spot

Found this on LinkedIn.

If only if it were this simple.

"Most people would rather be certain they’re miserable than risk being happy." - Robert Anthony (thanks to Faruck Morcos) 

Coal Lobby Warns: Wind Farms May Blow Earth Off Orbit & Solar Panels May Suck Sun Dark!

What a great way to start June! 

Where is T. Boone Pickens when you need him?

Here is the video's link.

 

"I looked at the Grand Canyon and I said, 'Wow, that looks like my job, and it's a national historic site.' " - John Harden, coal mine employee, October 2007

Making the World Safe for Home Depot Shoppers in Tarrant County, Texas

I pulled this from Mark Boslough's FB page, who grabbed it from the FB page of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. It was apparently taken at a Home Depot in Tarrant County (Ft. Worth area), Texas.

I guess these vigilant militia members are looking for bad guys. 

A question: how do we know that they're not the bad guys?

Even the NRA thought this behavior was 'weird'.

Then there is the 'defaced' version from Mark's FB page:

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." - Second Amendment

Cute Curvy Cat Tails

I suspect these cats would be aghast if they knew what their tails were doing!

“'Meow' means 'woof' in cat." - George Carlin

Is Water Hazardous to Your Health? Better Read This!

Would I lie? Besides, I found it on the Internet.

From I Fucking Love Science.

"Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water." - W.C. Fields

On Memorial Day, The Eagle Has Landed

I took this amazing photograph from Ken Reid's FB page. It's from the Minneapolis Star Tribune and was taken by amateur photographer Frank Glick at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN.

Here is the story.

 

The Diane Rehm Show today featured an interview with Wyl Hylton, author of the book, Vanished: he Sixty Year Search for the Missing Men of World War II.

Remember!

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." - Nathan Hale

More Goofy Google Maps: Geography of Kim Kardashian Fandom

Is this map accurate? Who cares - it's funny.

Curious about the strong support Mrs. Kanye West in the Southwest and Hawaii, with my former home state (for 17 years!) clocking in at number 1. Is it because Kim looks like a Latina? But she's also strong in my native state of New York and southern New England. Perhaps they think she's Italian-American?

At least my current home state checks in at number 48.

Whatever she is (Armenian-American, mainly), she's wealthy and famous. Must laugh all the way to the bank.

 

Then there is this from the New York Post:

"I'm into the mausoleum. Go hard or go home." - Kim Kardashian, commenting upon the afterlife)

What Does Your State Google Most?

This map may be inaccurate but it sure is funny.

"If it isn't on Google, it doesn't exist." - Jimmy Wales

Caddy Camp Reunion in New Hampshire: Our Lady of the Fairways Restoration

Last week I posted an article about a reunion of sorts in New Hampshire that I could not attend.

Here is a story from the 16 May 2014 edition of the Boston Post-Gazette, the Italian-American voice of Massachusetts.

This is difficult to read; click on it once, or download the paper here and go to page 5:

Download Post-Gazette_5-16-14

 

“Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well.” - George R. R. Martin, author - A Game of Thrones