A good history of Houdini concentrating on his debunking spiritualists.
Day: March 2, 2005
Circus Posters
A nice collection of old circus posters.
The Good Eats Drinking Game
- Alton explains why he uses kosher salt
- You can view the book, “Visual Food” in Alton’s kitchen.
- Alton says, “I’m not a nutritional anthropologist” or something close to that.
Nazi Propaganda Posters
The one pictured above reads “Check the war-mongers of the world. Every vote for the Führer!”
(via Jaf Project)
Words Banned From Personalized Football Jerseys
Good luck if you are a Randall Gay fan (Cornerback for my beloved Patriots).
To the NFL it’s naughty to be “GAY” but OK to be “BIN LADEN.” You can be a “NAZI” but not a “LESBIAN.” Even a gay man with the last name Gay can’t buy a jersey.
This rather bizarre conclusion is reached when trying to order a personalized jersey from the NFL Shop, the online merchandise site run by the league. Anyone trying to buy a jersey with the single word “GAY” or “LESBIAN” or “GAY PRIDE” on the back gets a rejection message that states: “This field should not contain a naughty word.”
Here is the list of the 1,121 banned words that you cannot have put on a personalized jersey from the NFLShop.com. Try it for yourself.
History of Neckties
For over two thousand years – since at least the Quin dynasty – the necktie (or cravat) has been the most widely used, and the most multicultural of all phallic symbols. Worn by the personal guard of Shih Huang Ti’s terracotta army, by the orators of ancient Rome, and by a succession of dandies, fops, and power dressers throughout history, “the clothe prick” (As Lord Byron was said to have termed it) appears to be nearing the end of its unprecedented accessorial reign.