B-List Archive
February 2003
Postings to the B-List.
Subject: B-List: Happy Chinese New Year
Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 07:48:06 +1030
It was Chinese New Year over the weekend. The Year of the Goat
(or Sheep) commenced last Saturday.
Chinese Horoscope Fun Page
< http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/STAFF/Baox/horoscope/fun.html >
Find your Chinese sign, based on your year of birth, and read
about your animal sign.
Compatibility among the Chinese Signs
< http://chinese.astrology.com/compatgrid.html >
About the Year of the Goat
< http://chinese.astrology.com/yeargoat.html >
< http://www.kenaz.com/notes/chinese_2003.htm >
"Beware of the goat"
< http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-12237646,00.html >
"Greeting Year of the Sheep Spring Festival"
< http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/zhuanti/Zhuanti_321_1.html >
Pictures of New Year celebrations around the world
"Chinese celebrating New Year"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_745801.html >
Don't try this at home
----
Yesterday was Groundhog Day ...
"Groundhog emerges to predict more wintry weather"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_746457.html >
Subject: B-List: What Are The Odds?
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 07:27:24 +1030
1. "Bookmakers draw up odds for crazy betting"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_731078.html >
2. "High Stakes: Weird bets"
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/high_stakes/1138210.stm >
3. "How's this for a weird wager?"
< http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200southlondonheadlines/page.cfm?objectid=12590753&method=full&siteid=50100 >
4. "Super Bowl Science: Sometimes sports bettors are no more rational
than stock investors"
< http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0106/056_print.html >
5. "A bit of the bizarre hits international goalkeepers"
< http://espn.go.com/gen/news/2002/1220/1480138.html? >
6. "Dog's death is beginning of string of bad luck"
< http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/121302_sn_puppy.html >
7. "Three times unlucky for persistent drivers"
< http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s763268.htm >
8. "'You really do make your own luck' says scientist"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_735430.html >
Subject: B-List: Would You Believe ... ?
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 07:49:02 +1030
These news items could almost qualify as urban legends, except that
they are true stories.
1. "Man gets his stolen car back in better condition"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_730625.html >
2. "Prisoners dig tunnel to freedom, a teaspoon at a time"
< http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s771896.htm >
3. "Hunter shot by dog"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_741966.html >
4. "Lost dog takes himself to hospital"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_727887.html >
5. "Couple discover cat bricked into new home"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_738057.html >
6. "Goalie plays on alone in the fog"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_738049.html >
7. "Man's cough caused by sewing needle in back"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_745273.html >
8. "Octopus learns to open jars of seafood"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_748630.html >
9. "Bush and Saddam turn out to be sole mates"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_748613.html >
Subject: B-List: Money Problems
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 07:51:19 +1030
1. "AOL record loss weakens US markets"
< http://abc.net.au/news/business/2003/01/item20030131073009_1.htm >
2. "Xbox division losses double for Microsoft"
< http://www.digitmag.co.uk/news/display_news.cfm?NewsID=2573 >
3. "Deficit of $199B seen for '03" [US Budget]
< http://money.cnn.com/2003/01/29/news/economy/budget_deficit/index.htm >
4. "Credit Counseling: Relief Or More Grief?"
< http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/19/eveningnews/main533702.shtml >
US credit card debt = $700 billion
5. "Record credit card debt slammed"
< http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,5762551%255E421,00.html >
Australian credit card debt = $22 billion
6. "Export slide fuels record deficit"
< http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/31/1043804520023.html >
Australian current account deficit = $3 billion in one month
Subject: B-List: Flash Friday
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 07:41:17 +1030
1. Table Tennis / Ping Pong
< http://www.flashplayer.com/flash/pop_flash_viewer.asp?flashType=2&FLASH_ID=217 >
2. Pinball
< http://www.puzzlefactory.com/swf.cfm?pffilename=pinball&pftype=pinball >
3. Fishy Squares Game
< http://www.titoonic.dk/products/games/squares/default.html >
4. Jigsaw Puzzle
< http://www.titoonic.dk/products/games/jigsaw_puzzle/default.html >
5. StarDudes
< http://www.theforce.net/theater/animation/stardudes/index.shtml >
Condenses Star Wars Episode IV in just under 5 minutes
Subject: B-List: Totally Off The Record
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 07:46:26 +1030
Totally Off The Record
< http://www.totallyofftherecord.com/ >
Anonymous work stories, grouped by occupation.
A selection:
* McConfessions (Bars & Restaurants)
< http://www.totallyofftherecord.com/story/view/?story_id=989&occupation_id=6 >
* Heard In Court (Legal)
< http://www.totallyofftherecord.com/story/view/?story_id=713&occupation_id=19 >
* Hall Of Shame Collection (Administrative)
< http://www.totallyofftherecord.com/story/view/?story_id=825&occupation_id=23 >
* Show & Tell (School Teachers)
< http://www.totallyofftherecord.com/story/view/?story_id=828&occupation_id=2 >
* Uninstall What? (Technology)
< http://www.totallyofftherecord.com/story/view/?story_id=893&occupation_id=25 >
Subject: B-List: Ouch! Don't Try These Yourself
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 07:42:02 +1030
1. "Girl gives frozen metal pole a lickin', her tongue keeps on stickin'"
< http://www.post-gazette.com/breaking/20030117tonguep9.asp >
2. "Canadian man may have broken record for body piercing"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_740261.html >
3. "Man bids for moustache weight-lifting record"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_739131.html >
4. "Man breaks record for smashing concrete with his groin"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_736770.html >
5. "Barely a scratch on drunk run over by train"
< http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s778614.htm >
6. "Assam's sun-gazing youth baffles doctors"
< http://news.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifynews/news/content/news_fullstory_v2.jsp?article_oid=12222269 >
7. "Fast barstool in hot water"
< http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyID=3101426 >
"Kiwi caught speeding semi-naked on motorised bar stool"
< http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_751548.html >
Subject: B-List: Alternative Lord of the Rings
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 07:48:41 +1030
Some interesting hypotheticals as to how Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings"
could read like if written in the style of other writers.
1. Alternative authors' versions of Lord of the Rings
< http://www.flin.demon.co.uk/althist/auth.htm >
2. If LotR Had Been Written By Someone Else!?
< http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=ce24f67f4391402642140618dcde1e00&threadid=138905&perpage=50&pagenumber=1 >
I must confess I've never read the original. And I couldn't get into
the movie.
Subject: B-List: Fallacies / Truth Is False
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 07:57:34 +1030
1. Fallacies at Dribbleglass.com
< http://www.dribbleglass.com/fallacies/index.htm >
A collection of trivia which challenge some myths, misconceptions and
outright falsehoods.
Examples:
* There's no evidence that pirates ever buried their treasure. That
myth first came up when captain William Kidd lied about burying his
gold during his trial.
* No witches were burned during the Salem Trials of 1692. All the
victims were hanged, except for one man, who was pressed to death
with stones.
* Eskimos do not now, nor have they in the past, lived in igloos.
Generally, igloos are used only in cases of emergency.
* Fish are not immune from seasickness.
* The Pony Express didn't use ponies, they used horses.
2. Truth Is False - "Everything you know is a lie!"
< http://www.truthisfalse.com/ >
A US-centric set of multiple choice questions which challenges some
widely-held facts.
Question 2 piqued my interest. "Who was the first President of the
United States of America?"
< http://www.truthisfalse.com/que/q2.shtml >
According to the site, it's not who you think:
< http://www.truthisfalse.com/poll/castvote2.shtml >
These pages examine the case:
* John Hanson, American Patriot and First President of the United States
< http://www.marshallhall.org/hanson.html >
* "History books are wrong, by George"
< http://www.activedayton.com/ddn/life/daily/0217president.html >
B!?