May 24, 2016

The Horror

DR. SEUSS WROTE “GREEN EGGS AND HAM” ON A BET THAT HE COULDN’T WRITE A BOOK WITH 50 OR FEWER WORDS

Today I found out Dr. Seuss wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” on a bet that he couldn’t write a book with fifty or fewer distinct words.

The bet was made in 1960 with Bennett Cerf, the co-founder of Random House, and was for $50 (about $382 today). Despite Dr. Seuss, a.k.a. Theodore Geisel, winning the bet by producing one of his most popular works Green Eggs and Ham using exactly 50 unique words, Cerf never paid up. Green Eggs and Ham went on to be Geisel’s best selling work, so he made out on it anyways.

Geisel’s first successful children’s book, Cat in the Hat, also was the result of a challenge to write a book in under a certain number of words. John Hersey, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, wrote a piece in a May 25, 1954 issue of Life magazine titled, “Why Do Students Bog Down on First R? A Local Committee Sheds Light on a National Problem: Reading.” which was extremely critical of school primers. At the time, children were reading primers like “Fun with Dick and Jane“, which are anything but fun and don’t inspire kids to want to read outside of what they are required. …

The Myth That the President Can Save the Economy

^{Presidential candidates like to make promises about their ability to conjure economic growth. Don’t believe them.}

Hillary Clinton wants to bring back the 1990s. She has touted her husband’s economic record—“the longest peacetime expansion in our history”—and promised to put him in charge of fixing the economy because, in her words, “he knows how to do it.”

Donald Trump wants to resurrect the 1950s. With his promises to bring back manufacturing jobs and flip the U.S. trade deficit with China, Mexico, and other countries, Trump is calling for a closed economy not seen since the U.S. was the industrial colossus of the world. “We will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with winning,” he said.

Both decades are worthy subjects of economic nostalgia. But as the country enters a general election in which promises about saving the economy will become more debased than Venezuelan currency, this is a good time to revisit an old truism: Presidents don’t shape the economy as much as the economy shapes presidencies. Although the office of the presidency has become imperial when it comes to surveillance, security, and foreign affairs, it remains relatively weak when it comes to single-handedly bending the GDP curve upwards. …

Progressive Women Are Running for Office All Over the Country

^{The anti-Trump candidacies of Teachout, Jayapal, and Flores should serve as a reminder that, as important as the presidency is, the White House is not the only thing at stake in 2016.}

With Donald Trump’s misogyny under the microscope, Democrats could have a secret weapon on their side between now and November: not “the woman’s card,” as Trump has called it, but the actual progressive women who will appear on ballots nationwide.

Hillary Clinton’s bid to become the first woman president has gotten far more attention in the media, but there are hundreds of female candidates running for office in 2016. And although Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is rightly credited for calling attention to the fundamental unfairness of our rigged economic and political systems, inspiring women such as Zephyr Teachout, Pramila Jayapal, and Lucy Flores are carrying the mantle of progressive populism in congressional races across the country. Notably, Sanders has endorsed and raised funds for all three women in their upcoming primaries, recognizing them as important allies in the battle to create progressive change. …

10 Interestingly Outlandish Conspiracy Theories About The Nazis

To say that the Nazis caught the world off guard when they unleashed their military might at the end of the 1930s would be an understatement. In the 70 years since the fall of the Third Reich, there has been much theorizing and questioning to find out just how the German military became as strong as it did so quickly.

Some of those theories venture into an area bordering on absurd. Absurd or not, however, they are possibly some of the more interesting conspiracy theories of their time.

10. 1936 Black Forest Incident

According to various reports that surfaced toward the end of the 20th century, a UFO crash-landed in Germany’s Black Forest near Frieberg in 1936. It is claimed that the craft was saucer-shaped and was ultimately recovered by SS troops shortly afterward.

The object was allegedly taken to Wewelsburg Castle, the main headquarters of the Third Reich, where their top scientists worked to reverse engineer it and find ways to use the technology to their advantage. Whether they achieved this or not is open to debate, but it is widely accepted that German scientists and engineers were far ahead of other countries at the time.

Although it should be treated with a large pinch of salt, an article that appeared online in 2013 claimed that the author had been able to “channel” into the crash site that evening. He had achieved this by allegedly tracking down a pair of field glasses that had belonged to an SS officer who had witnessed the crash. …

Samantha Bee extends right-wing history lesson by revealing how the GOP manufactured the abortion issue

In Monday night’s episode of Full Frontal, host Samantha Bee continued her history lesson on the evangelical religious right — and their symbiotic relationship with the Republican Party.

“Last week, we took a look at the religious right — those coveted evangelical voters that conservatives spent decades pandering to only to be dumped just before November prom for a heretical billionaire bully who only says the word “God” when he is ejaculating on a pile of money,” Bee began.

“Many people think the new religious right arose as a response to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. But that’s not true”

Religious studies professor Randall Balmer explained that leaders like Jerry Falwell and Paul Wirke were looking for ways to extend their power in the American political process, following the founding of the Moral Majority in 1979. …

Donald Trump acknowledges climate change — at his Irish golf course

^{The billionaire, who called global warming a hoax, warns of its dire effects in his company’s application to build a sea wall.}

Donald Trump says he is “not a big believer in global warming.” He has called it “a total hoax,” “bullshit” and “pseudoscience.”

But he is also trying to build a sea wall designed to protect one of his golf courses from “global warming and its effects.”

The New York billionaire is applying for permission to erect a coastal protection works to prevent erosion at his seaside golf resort, Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland, in County Clare.

A permit application for the wall, filed by Trump International Golf Links Ireland and reviewed by POLITICO, explicitly cites global warming and its consequences — increased erosion due to rising sea levels and extreme weather this century — as a chief justification for building the structure. …

The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012

10 Bizarre Foreign Versions Of American Fast Food

When a fast-food chain gets big enough, it inevitably decides to branch out into international markets. So it should come as no surprise to learn that many of America’s favorite burger, pizza, and chicken joints have locations all over the world. However, it should be considerably more surprising to learn just what those locations are selling. Gathered here are some of the more interesting bits of global drive-through fare.

10. Green Tea Blizzard

Frozen coffee has become a fast-food staple here in the US, so it seems a bit strange that tea has yet to be given the same treatment. They’re basically the same thing. But never fear if you’re among the tea-sipping set because Dairy Queen has recently concocted the green tea blizzard. You may need a passport to get one, though.

Available only in China and Thailand, the green tea blizzard is incredibly popular among Asian customers. It quickly became the number one selling flavor in China upon its release. And don’t worry if you’re not into naked blizzards because several mix-ins are available to spice it up. …

Republicans pull measure from House floor that would roll back LGBT rights

Republican leaders avoided another explosion over gay rights on the House floor Monday when they stripped language from a VA bill that would have rolled back expanded rights for LGBT employees who work for federal contractors.

The broader bill would provide greater access for veterans to private medical care outside the VA system, particularly in rural areas. Long sought by the Department of Veterans affairs, the legislation was set for a vote on the House floor Monday night.

But early Monday, Republican House leaders pulled a provision that had quietly passed the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, after Democrats and the gay rights groups protested. …

‘I’m not with her’: why women are wary of Hillary Clinton

^{As a whole, women support Clinton over Trump and Sanders, but 49% of women from across the political spectrum give her an unfavorable rating}

Anoa Changa is a feminist who isn’t going to vote for Hillary Clinton. Last July, when the 34-year-old Atlanta-based attorney began volunteering with the grassroots organization Women for Bernie Sanders, she received immediate pushback from other women. Over social media, they accused her and other Sanders volunteers of betraying their gender, and of being fake feminists. Even former professors and friends questioned how she could support the Vermont senator over the secretary of state.

“Some women I encounter act as if I’ve betrayed some kind of secret society,” says Changa. “I reject this brand of feminism. I’m not only voting for my gender, I’m voting for other issues.”

For the first time in its history, America is close to electing a female president, yet many women from across the political spectrum don’t like Clinton. …

“I’m not only voting for my gender, I’m voting for other issues” – Anoa Changa

WHY DO WE SAY SOMEONE IS “IN CAHOOTS”?

Mark K. asks: Why do we say someone is in cahoots? What is a cahoot?

Meaning alternately companions, confederates, partners and/or conspirators, in cahoots is a phrase used to describe a situation where people are working together, often on an illegal, immoral, secret and/or unethical scheme. As for the word “cahoot” itself, it is defined as a “partnership, league.”

The precise origin of in cahoots is not known, although there are a few very compelling theories. The first was floated in 1848 by John Russell Bartlett (no apparent relation to the quotations guy) in his Dictionary of Americanisms:

CAHOOT. Probably from cohort, Spanish and French, defined in the old French and English Dictionary of Hollyband, 1593, as ‘a company, a band.’ It is used at the South and West to denote a company or union of men for a predatory excursion, and sometimes for partnership in business.

…

How to Preserve Your Mental Health Despite the 2016 Election

^{First, know that some anxiety is normal.}

Stephen Holland has practiced clinical psychology for more than a quarter century. He has done so in Washington, D.C., for more than two decades. He has never seen an election like this one.

“I’d say probably two-thirds to three-quarters of our patients are mentioning their feelings about the election in session,” he told me. Holland directs the Capital Institute of Cognitive Therapy, where 12 clinicians see more than 300 patients a week.

So it is, perhaps, with every election. Robert Leahy, director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, said that therapist appointments anecdotally rise every election season. (They especially seemed to rise in D.C. when George W. Bush was elected, he told me.)

But 2016 is something else. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, aspires to implement policies far more extreme than the ordinary candidate’s. He talks of launching a trade war with China, deporting millions of immigrants, and enacting a total ban on Muslim immigration. Either through sky-high prices or constrained religious rights, his plans would dramatically alter the lives of far more Americans—in a far more sweeping way—than the proposals of Clinton, Obama, Romney, or McCain. …

Fur flies as Chechen leader and comedian John Oliver clash over lost cat

^{Ramzan Kadyrov hits back after Oliver mocked him for issuing online appeal about missing pet}

The controversial ruler of Chechnya, Kremlin-backed Ramzan Kadyrov, has engaged John Oliver in an unlikely online spat after the British comedian mocked the hardman leader for posting an online appeal about a lost cat.

Oliver mocked Kadyrov in a five-minute segment on HBO’s Last Week Tonight after the Chechen leader appealed to the world to help find his cat, a so-called toyger, a domestic cat bred to resemble a tiger cub.

Last week, Kadyrov posted a message on Instagram to ask for help in locating the animal. “We have begun to seriously worry,” he wrote, asking for anyone with information on the cat’s whereabouts to get in touch. …

.@RKadyrov Is this your cat? pic.twitter.com/2UacV3km7J

— John Oliver (@iamjohnoliver) May 23, 2016

7 Modern Social Issues That Are Older Than You Think

Now that Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan has conclusively and inexplicably proven that social justice warriors and the KKK are equally evil, you might be tempted to think that the age of advocating for socially progressive policies is over.

The truth is that Corgan probably hasn’t picked up a history book in a while. If he did, he’d know that most of today’s hot-button topics have been on the table way longer than his attention span can handle …

#7. We’ve Been Obsessing Over Black Women’s Butts Since 1810

When Kim Kardashian “broke the internet” with her champagne-and-booty-poppin’ photo shoot, people were quick to point out (NSFW) that the celebutante’s pose was ripped from a 1978 photo collection called Jungle Fever, because fuck subtlety.

The series fetishized the black models’ bodies, particularly their rear ends, implying that objectification and violation were acceptable things to do to African-American women. From the way this article has been going, you’ve probably guessed that this specific form of racism dates back even further than the ’70s. In the 1800s, Saartjie Baartman was essentially a freak show exhibition. Nicknamed the Hottentot Venus, Baartman was gawked at on account of her large backside.

^{“My lord, Rebecca. Gaze upon her posterior.”}

…

What Do Black Holes Sound Like?

Janna Levin, professor of physics and astronomy at Columbia University and author of Black Hole Blues, describes the noise that black holes make this way: “You could say black holes are playing drums out there. Space-time is the drum, and black holes are the mallets.” The collision of two black holes, 30 times the mass of the sun and 1.3 light-years away, was captured by LIGO as a loud chirp. In this short video, Levin explains how we heard sound in space for the first time ever.

It’s Bond, Jane Bond: Gillian Anderson throws hat into the ring to be next 007

^{Star of The X-Files and The Fall puts herself into the running – alongside Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba and Damian Lewis – with Twitter poster}

Gillian Anderson has hinted that she would accept the role as the first female Bond, tweeting out a mocked-up poster of herself as 007.

The star of The Fall and The X-Files expressed her desire to take over from Daniel Craig as the world’s most famous secret agent, tweeting, alongside the poster: “It’s Bond, Jane Bond.”

She added: “(And sorry, don’t know who made poster but I love it!)”, with the hashtag #NextBond.

It's Bond. Jane Bond.
Thanks for all the votes! (And sorry, don't know who made poster but I love it!) #NextBond pic.twitter.com/f8GC4ZuFgL

— Gillian Anderson (@GillianA) May 21, 2016

…

10 Odd Archaeological Finds That Tell Unexpected Stories

All archaeological finds are invaluable, yet some are more priceless than others. Some tell stories so ancient yet so familiar that we can’t help but smile as we realize how little some things have changed these past thousands of years.

10. Unguentarium

Like the ancient Egyptians, the Romans took their funerary practices seriously lest the dead remain eternally trapped in uneventful purgatory. A by-the-book funeral could consist of five parts, starting with a procession and ending with a grand feast to ensure the departed’s successful voyage to the immortal domain. Afterward, Romans celebrated the dead during specified “holidays,” kind of like Mexico’s famed Day of the Dead.

Strangely enough, gravesites throughout the Roman world often surrendered vaselike sculptures called unguentaria. According to legend, they held the tears of family members grieving over the departed, although that appears to be a romantic myth. It’s now generally agreed that unguentaria—“unguent” meaning “ointment”—stored perishable goods for the living rather than commemorations for the dead. …

As Their Anchors Sink, Malls Try To Present Retail ‘Experience’

Many of the department stores that once anchored bustling shopping malls continue to close. Macy’s will shutter 36 additional stores this year; 78 Kmart and Sears locations will also close. What to do with that vast, vacant space?

There is no traffic, and no problem finding parking at Owings Mills Mall in Maryland. The 5,000 or so parking spaces are all vacant. A J.C. Penney closed last month and a Macy’s closed last year.

When it opened in 1986, it was anchored by a Saks Fifth Avenue and catered to well-to-do Baltimore suburbanites.

The mall’s owner, Kimco Realty, is planning a multimillion-dollar revamp. Like many malls that are trying to re-attract customers, it will include a movie theater and restaurants. But it will not include a department store. …

Shia LaBeouf to hitch rides from Twitter-savvy strangers for Boulder art project

As Sam Witwicky in the “Transformers” movies, actor Shia LaBeouf is used to getting into strange cars. Now he could be getting into yours.

The actor and the two other members of his art collective will be tweeting their locations and allowing people to come pick them up as part of a month-long project commissioned by the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and the Finnish Institute in London.

LaBeouf and the other two members of the collective — artists Nastja Säde Rönkkö and Luke Turner — will be tweeting their locations every day at noon using the hashtag #TAKEMEANYWHERE. The first person to pick them up will be able to drive them anywhere. …

CAUTION: Some language may not be appropriate for work or children.

THE FIRST WEBSITE EVER MADE

^{The First Ever Machine to Run a Web Server}

Today I found out what the first website ever made was. Simply put, it was a website made by the World Wide Web’s creator Tim Berners-Lee, who was working for CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research).

The first ever website was published on August 6, 1991 and served up a page explaining the World Wide Web project and giving information on how users could setup a web server and how to create their own websites and web pages, as well as how they could search the web for information. The URL for the first ever web page put up on the first ever website was http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html

This link is no longer active and, unfortunately, nobody bothered to make a copy of this original page, which tended to be updated daily anyways. The earliest version of it that was recorded was in 1992 and a copy of that page can be found here. …