Friday Ephemeraren’t
Yes, a chance to throw together your own pile of links and oddities in the comments. I’ll set the ball rolling with the first great trial of fatherhood; assorted airline safety cards; finding the sweet spot; some cold hindquarters; and things that can happen on a rollercoaster.
Oh, and via Things, a game about an impending audit and hastily shredding documents.
(Of course, I’ve been mainlining espresso since mumble o’clock)
Bartender, do you have anything that would relieve such suffering?
Bartender, do you have anything that would relieve such suffering?
One smoker’s cough, coming up.
One smoker’s cough, coming up.
Our hero!
Q: Is there less snake oil fraud today than 100 years ago?
A: No, the bullshit jargon has gotten more sophisticated, though.
“Fuel your cellular energy! The most powerful adaptogen available on the market – Shown to enhance our metabolism, directing the mitochondria to convert fats and sugars into ATP — the main source for cellular energy!”
“The adjective ‘tasteful’ does not naturally attach itself to this structure.”
I like it. The important thing with bank buildings before the days of fiat money and electronic transfer was for them to look solid. Impregnable. Also rich, and built to last.
I say “before the days of fiat money“, but it lasted at least into the ’70s. You could always recognise a Bank of Scotland because it was covered in granite (veneer, by the later ones), and Clydesdale branches looked like nuclear bunkers, with plenty of bare, chunky concrete. (I may be misremembering, but I’m fairly sure the door of our local branch was concrete. As was the counter. Kids today wouldn’t believe it. Ken Adam must have been involved at some stage. It’s the only explanation.)
James Lilek’s “Main Street” series demonstrates that the same phenomenon was in operation in America, with ’60s and ’70s banks looking more like military installations than places of commercial business. This week’s edition had a typical example.
My sister “collected” airline safety cards, she has Concorde somewhere.
“burn bags”
Read the history of the Israeli Kfir fighter for a good explanation.
Read the history of the Israeli Kfir fighter for a good explanation.
I know that Israeli spies stole large amounts of Mirage engineering data after France imposed an embargo, but have never read any long, detailed accounts. I wouldn’t be surprised if the details of how this was accomplished have never been revealed.
you’d be surprised just how much interception can happen between the third floor and B1.
Particularly by the flunkie assigned to carry the documents to the shredder. You can bet they’ll be avidly read.
(Told to me by someone who worked in one of the windowless buildings but who had top secret clearance.)