Category: History

Another Great Gift Idea: TREPANATION!

Trepanation Game_Gimcrack Hospital 090707

Great educational game for the hole family. Release the evil spirits, insert the jello, and your Patient’s  nose lights up when his demeanor improves!

A traditional cure-all for conservatism, it has its dangers:  Be careful!  When the vote comes up and the Patient argues against frivolous spending and taxation, guess what?  HE’S NOT CURED!

trepanationThe game continues until each of the evil spirits have been vanquished and the Patient votes for nationalizing the banking industry, the automotive industry, the healthcare industry, runs for congress as a carpetbagger, opposes the NRA and Constitutional Amendments 1, 2 & 4, is coerced to vote CORRECTLY, or until he’s been otherwise  completely incapacitated and forced to become a ward of the State himself.

Bonus points are awarded if the Patient joins Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, any union, or supports AGW before becoming incapacitated.

Once the Patient signs on as a democrat the game is over, and it moves to the next level:  Change your Patient from a socialist to a marxist! (Requires upgrade to Trepanation 2.0.)

[Found here.]

“Try DOME GAS – It’s Better”

Dome Gas 1926_Strange Cosmos 090710[Larger image can be found here.]

WHOA! 23¢ a gallon!  And what a GREAT slogan.

Let’s talk about gas prices vs. inflation.
Inflation calculator: 1926-2009 = 1,108.2%

Price per Gallon in 1926 (regular, leaded): $0.23/gal
Federal Gasoline Tax (up to 1933): $0.01/gal = 4.55%
Actual cost per gallon (1926 dollars): $0.22/gal
Actual cost per gallon, less taxes (2009 dollars):  $2.66/gal

Price per Gallon (regular unleaded) 10 July 2009: $2.90/gal
Federal Gasoline Tax 2009: $0.184/gal
California (Local + State + Fed Taxes) 6 July 2009:
$0.645/gal* = 2.9%

* Includes CA Sales Tax (7.25%) CA County & Local Sales Tax (1.25%), and  UST tax (1.2%) whateverTF that is.

Actual cost per gallon, less taxes (July 2009):  $2.26/gal**

**Note that the base price stated for California gasoline includes costs for state mandated fuel additives, summer/winter mixes, ethanol. Note also that this amount includes franchise fees, business license fees, miniscule profit by the small business folks, and Swantzenegger Boxer Feinswein Pelosi & Waxman fees, other “revenue enhancement fees” emanating from Sacramento, and costs for gettin’ the lead out.

[Sources found here and here.]

Now Let’s talk about mileage and cost and technology.

Continue reading ““Try DOME GAS – It’s Better””

Saturday Matinee: Happy Independence Day!

If you haven’t read THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE since high school, maybe now is a good time to reread it, given our current economic situation and recent insufferable actions by the current administration.  The Heritage Foundation has an excellent introduction to The Declaration, one of the most influential documents in the history of western civilization.

Since this is our weekly Saturday Matinee, we took a walk through the Utoobage.  The first video that showed up is a very nice professional rendition by a handful of left-wing has-been Hollywood stars and starlets, reciting an EDITED version of the original Declaration, with very convenient omissions… and we’ll NOT post it here.

The next video listed on the Utoobage was well produced also, but devolves within seconds to a criticism of Thomas Jefferson as a slave owner, and, besides ignoring the historical context,  misses the point of The Declaration entirely, and confuses it with the Constitution of the United States. It is in fact the intro to the first video mentioned. We’ll not link to that piece of irrational and inaccurate garbage either.

But then we found this unstilted representation:

Those men, “The Founding Fathers,” had integrity, fortitude, morals, ethics and balls.  They did what they did under threat of being tortured and hanged for treason by the British.

Where can we find such courageous leaders today?  Certainly not in Washington D.C.

flag1

Un poco de esto, un poco de ése

Someone’s about to get pounded, and it’s not the poor soul on the right.  He’s got a pocket force field that rebounds with force x 10.
[Anyone know the story of this dealie? Found here.]

Meanwhile, on a brighter note, the esteemed GE Eagle Esq pointed us to a link on the Beeb:  Raccoons eating “ice lollies.” Can’t embed that one, but it’s cute.

Sea Lion Newport Beach_KTLA 010709

But the UK’s got nothing on US.  Here’s the story from yesterday.  A juvy sea lion with an attitude was captured in Newport Beach, California,  after attempting to pirate a boat, terrorizing children, and refusing to leave the dock.

The sea lion was captured by the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol, maneuvered into the fireboat, but it apparently evaded the crew and took the emergency helm in a last ditch effort to humiliate his human captors.  Turned on the sirens, honked the horn, put the vessel in reverse and cranked the throttle to full speed. [Full story here.]

Finally, there’s this, crossposted at Amy Oops:

Spinal Tap Reunion_xyz 090629

Lessee, they’ve now got it turned up to 62, 66 & 61 respectively. I had to look at it, so now its you’re turn. Note that the one on the right is also the 5th Baron Haden-Guest, and is still married to Jamie Lee Curtis.  [Spinal Tap ReOnion pic from here.]

Popeye Dead at 108

Popeye_Smoke & a Coke

Santa Monica, CA (Strutts News Services) – Legendary mariner and celebrity, popularly known as “Popeye” passed away at 2:30AM PST Thursday at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.  Leaving behind no documents to prove his full name, Popeye suffered quietly for years from complications caused by hypertension due to  a lifetime of sea salt inhalation.

Popeye’s last words were reported to be, “That’s all’s I can stands, and I can’t stands no more!” before he drifted off.

Continue reading “Popeye Dead at 108”

Slower Traffic Keep Right.

Afganistan Traffic Sign_antroLOLogy 090614

Khyber Pass, Afghanistan, 1955.  I wonder if camels and donkeys got tickets for blocking traffic.

[Found here. Kinda goes with this post.]

Oyster Pyramid

Oyster Pyramid_Team Assignment 090617

I want one of these, just to say I have one, and to gloat about it at the next class reunion.

[Found Here.]

The Ancients Predicted Obama’s Return

concrete obama head_Moonbattery 090610

Malaga/Atlantis (Strutts News Services) – The head of a long submerged work of ancient artistry was retrieved Thursday, that bore a striking resemblance to  the, um, meh.  Nevermind.

[Image and dopey story fouwound here.]

6 June 1944 – D-Day

Today, 6 June, is Memorial Day in South Korea and National Day in Sweden.

But more importantly, it is the Anniversary of the 1944 Normandy Invasion of Nazi-held France, commonly referred to as D-Day. There were many D-Days and H-Hours, but most folks remember this one.

God bless the brave and the fallen, who selflessly pulled it off with honor… on our behalf.

Veteran Amy Oops has a nice tribute as well.

[2,000th comment on this blog by the literary horse, below.]

Milton Friedman’s Brilliance

Folks–

Pip2Occasionally I’ve commented on a few of your websites, in response to conjecture and political opinion pieces on government economics, welfare, and socialism.  I’m not going to name names;  most of ya’ll are blogging friends, and you already know who you are.  Most of you already know where I stand, as I don’t hide it very well…

I don’t pretend to hide it either.

To our other silent but loyal readers:  It doesn’t matter what I say on someone else’s blog, whether agreeing or disagreeing, venting, castigating, or just having fun.  It’s my opinion, and it’s very very true.

I stand by my worms.

Although I’ve posted Utoobage links to Milton Friedman before, I hadn’t seen this one until tonight.  It’s not a stretch of the imagination that eventually the videos of Friedman’s astute simple logic may soon be banned as “hate speech.”

Note that he rarely referred to his notes, and didn’t need a teleprompter to convey his ideas.  He didn’t need them because he described simple basic truths backed up with historical fact.

Drop your preconceived notions at the door, and listen to what Friedman said, especially as it pertains to our present circumstances.  He spoke volumes of logic in this interview with Richard Heffner of Rutgers University on “Open Mind,” a program that aired in 1975:

Friedman was a prescient genius. Full transcript below the break.

Continue reading “Milton Friedman’s Brilliance”