hipparchy
n. rule or control of horses
“Wonderful Peculiarity in the English Character!”
“The French, however wretched may be their condition, are attached to life, while the English frequently detest life in the midst of affluence and splendour. English criminals are not dragged, but run to the place of execution, where they laugh, sing, cut jokes, insult the spectators; and if no hangman happens to be present, frequently hang themselves.”
— Memoirs of Lewis Holberg, quoted in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, July 28, 1827
Katrina’s Eye
Hurricane Katrina, seen from the inside. It was the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, and the costliest in U.S. history. Total damages are expected to reach $75 billion.
New Year Be Damned
Jonathan Swift’s “Resolutions — When I Come to Be Old”:
- Not to Marry a young Woman.
- Keep young Company unless they reely desire it.
- Be peevish or morose, or suspicious.
- Scorn present Ways, or Wits, or Fashions, or Men, or War, &c.
- Be fond of Children, or let them come near me hardly.
- Tell the same Story over and over to the same People.
- Be covetous.
- Neglect decency, or cleenlyness, for fear of falling into Nastyness.
- Be over severe with young People, but give Allowances for their youthfull follyes, and Weeknesses.
- Be influenced by, or give ear to knavish tatling Servants, or others.
- Be too free of advise nor trouble any but those that desire it.
- Desire some good Friends to inform me which of these Resolutions I break, or neglect, & wherein; and reform accordingly.
- Talk much, nor of my self.
- Boast of my former beauty, or strength, or favor with Ladyes, &c.
- Hearken to Flatteryes, nor conceive I can be beloved by a young woman.
- Be positive or opiniative.
- Sett up for observing all these Rules, for fear I should observe none.
Plus Permits
In today’s dollars, the Taj Mahal cost more than $500 million.
R.I.P.
Nurse: Is anything bothering you?
Buddy Rich: Yes … country music!
Those were his last words.
“Apocalypse Hoboken”
Best entries in The Canonical List of Weird Band Names:
- Alcoholocaust
- The Ass Baboons of Venus
- The Couch Slugs
- The Dancing French Liberals of 1848
- Dick Duck and the Dorks
- Ed’s Redeeming Qualities
- Ethyl Meatplow
- Hell Camino
- Individual Fruit Pie
- Lavay Smith and The Red Hot Skillet Lickers
- Lawnsmell
- Mussolini Headkick
- Rash of Stabbings
- Stukas Over Bedrock
- Technosquid Eats Parliament
A few are designed to look good on a marquee, like FREE BEER AND CHICKEN and HORNETS ATTACK VICTOR MATURE.
I Do
On Aug. 10, 2003, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko became the first person to be married in space.
He was in the international space station, 240 miles over New Zealand, when he married Ekaterina Dmitrieva, who was in Texas.
A Common Theme
Deaths of selected Burmese kings:
- Uzana (1254): Trampled to death by an elephant
- Minrekyawswa (1417): Crushed to death by an elephant
- Razadarit (1423): Died while lassoing elephants
- Tabinshweti (1551): Beheaded while searching for an elephant
Draw your own conclusions.
Good Point
A samurai once asked Zen master Hakuin where he would go after he died. Hakuin answered, “How am I supposed to know?”
“How do you know? You’re a Zen master!” exclaimed the samurai.
“Yes, but not a dead one,” Hakuin answered.