When toeing the party line overrides your personal integrity,
you have officially become useless.
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thomas Edison’s Eccentric Job Interviews
By Rosemary L.
Thomas Edison had an encyclopedic memory, and by the early 1920s, he had become increasingly frustrated by the fact that college graduates applying to work for him didn’t have a wealth of knowledge comparable to his own. To test the mental mettle of incoming job seekers, he administered to each a series of 150 questions, tailored to the position for which they were applying. Some were specific to the industry, while others were mysterious. Masons, for instance, needed to know who assassinated President Lincoln.
Others were topical (In what cities are hats and shoes made?) and are now outdated (What telescope is largest in the world?). But just in case the Edison Quiz fad ever returns, here’s a cheat sheet to help you master some of the finer points. Good luck!
Who was Francis Marion?
An officer in the Revolutionary War, often cited as being the father of guerilla warfare. His skill at clandestinely moving troops by dressing drably and utilizing swamp paths earned him the nickname “Old Swamp Fox.”
Where is the River Volga?
Oh, the longest river in Europe? Russia, of course.
Who invented logarithms?
Scottish mathematician and ruff-wearer John Napier, in the mid 1600s. He also combined the work of Italian mathematician Fibonacci and Ottoman genius-of-all-trades Matrakçı Nasuh to invent the awesomely named “Napier’s Bones,” an abacus-like system of numbered rods that transform multiplication, division, and exponents into simple addition and subtraction.
What is the first line in The Aeneid?
What war material did Chile export to the Allies during the War?
Sodium nitrate, which was used to manufacture gunpowder, and made Chile very rich. Nitratine appeared there in such large deposits, the mineral is also known as Chile saltpeter.
Who was the Roman emperor when Jesus Christ was born?
Caesar Augustus, Sept. 23, 63 BC—Aug. 19, 14 AD.
Where is the Sargasso Sea?
The only “sea” to be entirely surrounded by water, the Sargasso is actually an elliptical patch of the North Atlantic, near Bermuda. The water in this area is relatively calm and thick with seaweed (sargassum weed, actually), trapped there by the surrounding currents: the Canary Current at the northeast, the Northern Equatorial Current along the south, and the Gulf Stream on the northwest.
Because of the Sargasso’s relatively low precipitation, high evaporation, light winds, warm temperatures and high salinity, scientists used to think it was a sort of oceanic desert; they knew aquatic creatures made their habitat in the sargassum, but thought the water wasn’t hospitable to plankton. More recently, however, mysterious plankton blooms suggest that the area is “far more productive than we could explain…” according to Dennis McGillicuddy, oceanographer and leader on the Eddies Dynamics, Mixing, Export, and Species composition (EDDIES) project. Put that in your pipe, Edison.
Of what is brass made?
Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper. Humans started making brass as early as the Neolithic era, though ancient texts often use the term brass when they mean bronze – an alloy of copper and tin.
Who was Leonidas?
The military king of ancient Sparta who heroically led a mere 300 men in the battle against massive Persian forces in the battle of Thermopylae. Sure, he had some help from other Greeks, but the 300 thing is his legacy. So much so, he’s now most famous for being the guy who yells “This! Is! Spartaaaa!”
Where do we get shellac?
You probably know shellac as a term commonly applied to wood varnish, which is actually a combination of alcohol and the naturally occurring thermoplastic resin also called shellac. But did you know the latter shellac is produced and secreted by the lac insect (Laccifer lacca), a type of scale bug somewhat related to aphids and cicadas? Proper shellac is also used commercially in products like sealing wax, hairspray, and even cake glazes and anti-caking agents in candy. Vegans beware.
Why is cast iron called Pig Iron?
Modern-day metal workers would argue that cast iron and pig iron are not exactly the same thing, but what Edison probably meant by pig iron was the raw material used in making iron and steel. Back in the day, pig iron was melted into casts that resembled baby piglets suckling from their mother. Likewise, iron workers used to call the iron in the adjoining lateral channel “the sow.”
Who was Bessemer and what did he do?
Henry Bessemer invented the Bessemer process, which revolutionized mass production of steel. From pig iron.
Pencils Down!
Of the well over 500 young men who took Edison’s test, only about 35 passed to his satisfaction (a score of 90% or higher). When several disgruntled rejects complained to the press, Edison refused to release his questions and answers, so the public had to rely largely on the memory of his “victims” for the complete list. Magazines subsequently began running “Edison pop quizzes,” and rival employers — fancying themselves as exclusive as Edison — began conducting employment quizzes of their own. Edison’s scientific conclusions on the subject?
“Only 2% of the people think, as I gather from my questionnaire.”
Thomas Edison had an encyclopedic memory, and by the early 1920s, he had become increasingly frustrated by the fact that college graduates applying to work for him didn’t have a wealth of knowledge comparable to his own. To test the mental mettle of incoming job seekers, he administered to each a series of 150 questions, tailored to the position for which they were applying. Some were specific to the industry, while others were mysterious. Masons, for instance, needed to know who assassinated President Lincoln.
Others were topical (In what cities are hats and shoes made?) and are now outdated (What telescope is largest in the world?). But just in case the Edison Quiz fad ever returns, here’s a cheat sheet to help you master some of the finer points. Good luck!
Who was Francis Marion?
An officer in the Revolutionary War, often cited as being the father of guerilla warfare. His skill at clandestinely moving troops by dressing drably and utilizing swamp paths earned him the nickname “Old Swamp Fox.”
Where is the River Volga?
Oh, the longest river in Europe? Russia, of course.
Who invented logarithms?
Scottish mathematician and ruff-wearer John Napier, in the mid 1600s. He also combined the work of Italian mathematician Fibonacci and Ottoman genius-of-all-trades Matrakçı Nasuh to invent the awesomely named “Napier’s Bones,” an abacus-like system of numbered rods that transform multiplication, division, and exponents into simple addition and subtraction.
What is the first line in The Aeneid?
Arms, and the man I sing, who, forced by fate
And haughty Juno’s unrelenting hate
Expelled and exiled, left the Trojan shore: - Virgil
What war material did Chile export to the Allies during the War?
Sodium nitrate, which was used to manufacture gunpowder, and made Chile very rich. Nitratine appeared there in such large deposits, the mineral is also known as Chile saltpeter.
Who was the Roman emperor when Jesus Christ was born?
Caesar Augustus, Sept. 23, 63 BC—Aug. 19, 14 AD.
Where is the Sargasso Sea?
The only “sea” to be entirely surrounded by water, the Sargasso is actually an elliptical patch of the North Atlantic, near Bermuda. The water in this area is relatively calm and thick with seaweed (sargassum weed, actually), trapped there by the surrounding currents: the Canary Current at the northeast, the Northern Equatorial Current along the south, and the Gulf Stream on the northwest.
Because of the Sargasso’s relatively low precipitation, high evaporation, light winds, warm temperatures and high salinity, scientists used to think it was a sort of oceanic desert; they knew aquatic creatures made their habitat in the sargassum, but thought the water wasn’t hospitable to plankton. More recently, however, mysterious plankton blooms suggest that the area is “far more productive than we could explain…” according to Dennis McGillicuddy, oceanographer and leader on the Eddies Dynamics, Mixing, Export, and Species composition (EDDIES) project. Put that in your pipe, Edison.
Of what is brass made?
Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper. Humans started making brass as early as the Neolithic era, though ancient texts often use the term brass when they mean bronze – an alloy of copper and tin.
Who was Leonidas?
The military king of ancient Sparta who heroically led a mere 300 men in the battle against massive Persian forces in the battle of Thermopylae. Sure, he had some help from other Greeks, but the 300 thing is his legacy. So much so, he’s now most famous for being the guy who yells “This! Is! Spartaaaa!”
Where do we get shellac?
You probably know shellac as a term commonly applied to wood varnish, which is actually a combination of alcohol and the naturally occurring thermoplastic resin also called shellac. But did you know the latter shellac is produced and secreted by the lac insect (Laccifer lacca), a type of scale bug somewhat related to aphids and cicadas? Proper shellac is also used commercially in products like sealing wax, hairspray, and even cake glazes and anti-caking agents in candy. Vegans beware.
Why is cast iron called Pig Iron?
Modern-day metal workers would argue that cast iron and pig iron are not exactly the same thing, but what Edison probably meant by pig iron was the raw material used in making iron and steel. Back in the day, pig iron was melted into casts that resembled baby piglets suckling from their mother. Likewise, iron workers used to call the iron in the adjoining lateral channel “the sow.”
Who was Bessemer and what did he do?
Henry Bessemer invented the Bessemer process, which revolutionized mass production of steel. From pig iron.
Pencils Down!
Of the well over 500 young men who took Edison’s test, only about 35 passed to his satisfaction (a score of 90% or higher). When several disgruntled rejects complained to the press, Edison refused to release his questions and answers, so the public had to rely largely on the memory of his “victims” for the complete list. Magazines subsequently began running “Edison pop quizzes,” and rival employers — fancying themselves as exclusive as Edison — began conducting employment quizzes of their own. Edison’s scientific conclusions on the subject?
“Only 2% of the people think, as I gather from my questionnaire.”
____________________________________________
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Obama Campaign Volunteers Take to the Buses
Life is tough on the road as an Obamabot.....
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Former Staffer: Obama and Biden "Financially Illiterate"...
The Lunatic Asylum
No shit? Just figuring that out, huh?
Next year, assuming the Mayans were wrong about Armageddon, is going to be a blast for those of us who like to read. I have no doubt that there’s fifty “Obama Insider” books already written, and ready to go, all dripping with the truth about President Marriott-Suites, his Deputy Dog of a Vice President, and the gift that keeps on giving, Our Esteemed Secretary of State, the Old Crusty Pantsuit, herself.
And every last one of them holds out the possibility of containing completely original, never-before-spoken-of examples of legendary stupidity that will, in all likelihood, shock the ever-loving shit out of every last one of us. Not because it will be unbelievable, but because we’ll finally know just how close we came to becoming a fascist dictatorship run by complete doofuses.
Think Mussolini with Down’s Syndrome.
The article is basically a rehash of some disillusioned-and-selfish dickhead’s disappointments with Biden, but it’s a weather vane, of sorts, for the kind of shit we’re likely to be seeing on bookshelves really soon. The theme is that “While I may be a complete asshole, Joe Biden is a bigger one, and here’s why….”
Make sure your Kindle is charged up, folks.
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sandy Forces Obama to Shift Lying to Other States
Washington—Hurricane Sandy has forced the Obama campaign to move its lying efforts from states in the path of the storm to others beyond the hurricanes reach.
Starting today, the President's campaign began reallocating lies originally intended for Virginia to other swing states such as Ohio and Wisconsin, the campaign confirmed today.
“An emergency situation like this really tests how good your ground game is,” said Obama adviser David Axelrod. “Fortunately, we have liars in all fifty seven states.”
But even as the Obama campaign expressed outward confidence about its ability to maintain an uninterrupted flow of whoppers, some Democrats privately feared that a major power outage could disrupt its ability to lie, distort, and exaggerate in the crucial days ahead.
“If MSNBC or CNN gets knocked off the air in some of these states, we’re certainly going to be down a quart in terms of falsehoods,” one insider said.
But according to Vice-Presidential Joe Biden, who has been central to the campaign’s lying efforts, the severe weather is a challenge that “separates the men from the boys.”
“They’re expecting winds of up to seventy miles per hour,” Biden told reporters. “Fortunately, I can run eighty miles per hour.”
Starting today, the President's campaign began reallocating lies originally intended for Virginia to other swing states such as Ohio and Wisconsin, the campaign confirmed today.
“An emergency situation like this really tests how good your ground game is,” said Obama adviser David Axelrod. “Fortunately, we have liars in all fifty seven states.”
But even as the Obama campaign expressed outward confidence about its ability to maintain an uninterrupted flow of whoppers, some Democrats privately feared that a major power outage could disrupt its ability to lie, distort, and exaggerate in the crucial days ahead.
“If MSNBC or CNN gets knocked off the air in some of these states, we’re certainly going to be down a quart in terms of falsehoods,” one insider said.
But according to Vice-Presidential Joe Biden, who has been central to the campaign’s lying efforts, the severe weather is a challenge that “separates the men from the boys.”
“They’re expecting winds of up to seventy miles per hour,” Biden told reporters. “Fortunately, I can run eighty miles per hour.”
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Bin Laden Peels Off a Few Bucks for the Obama Campaign
No block to foreign money – not even from dead terrorists.....
WND – Using a Pakistani Internet Protocol and proxy server, a disposable credit card and a fake address, “Osama bin Laden” has successfully donated twice to Barack Obama’s presidential re-election campaign.
The “Bin Laden” donations, actually made by WND staff, included a listed occupation of “deceased terror chief” and a stated employer of “al-Qaida.”“Bin Laden” is currently set up on the official campaign website to contribute more to Obama’s campaign. The name is also registered as a volunteer. Since the “foreign” contribution was sent, “Bin Laden’s” email address has received several solicitations from Obama’s campaign asking for more donations.
The apparently foreign-based contributions were conducted as a test after a flurry of media reports described the ability of foreigners to donate to the Obama campaign but not to Mitt Romney’s site, which has placed safeguards against such efforts.
The acceptance of foreign contributions is strictly illegal under U.S. campaign finance law.
One $15 donation was made at BarackObama.com using a confirmed Pakistani IP address and proxy server. In other words, as far as the campaign website was concerned, the donation was openly identified electronically as coming from Pakistan.
Upon clicking the “donate” button, WND staff selected the $15 amount and were taken to a page on the campaign website asking for a first and last name, city, state, zip code, email address and phone number.
The information submitted was: “Osama bin Laden, 911 Jihad Way, Abbottabad, CA 91101.”
While the website only has options for U.S. states and zip codes, there is no mechanism in place on Obama’s website to verify the individual is actually located in that state or zip code, or even in the U.S.
The Obama campaign refuses to release the identification of donors who give less than $200
In the case of this donation, the 91101 zip code is real but corresponds to Pasadena, Calif., and not Abbottabad, the Pakistani city in which bin Laden was found holed up in a compound.
For a requested phone number, WND inputted the White House information line of (202) 456-2121. The email address used to set up the donation account was osama4obama2012@gmail.com.
After clicking “next,” the website asked for an employer, occupation and a password to set up future donations. WND staff entered the occupation as “deceased terror chief” and the employer as “al-Qaida.”
The transaction was made last Friday with the use of a disposable credit card. The website did not require the card’s security code.
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Monday, October 29, 2012
The Media and Mormonism, on the Eve of the Election
Human Events
"At the end of August, Ed Klein, author of The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House, wrote an editorial for Fox News in which he described a meeting headed by Obama’s campaign manager, David Axelrod. “According to my sources inside the campaign, Axelrod & Co. discussed what might be called the nuclear option: unleashing an attack on Romney’s Mormon faith via the mainstream media,” Klein wrote. The primary strategic goal would be turning evangelical voters, a key element of George Bush’s winning 2004 coalition, away from Romney.
Klein’s sources told him Axelrod was considering this risky strategy because the polls were closing in Wisconsin, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Seven weeks after Klein wrote his editorial, most of those states have indeed become very tight, and there are polls showing Romney ahead in most of them.
There has been sporadic media interest in Mormonism throughout the campaign, ever since Mitt Romney became the likely Republican nominee. Quite a few stories were popping right around the time Klein wrote, and he listed some of them in his piece, from GQ Magazine and hyperventilating MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell (currently a minor sideshow attraction for challenging Romney’s son Tagg to a fistfight) launching high-octane tirades, to more respectable media outlets producing lengthy “special reports,” of the type they would never dream of directing at Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s Church of Racial Hatred."Keep Reading.......
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Obama’s Aura Of Defeat
Well I’ve found my favorite paragraph of last week, in The New York Times of all places (granted it’s on one of their blogs), penned by Ross Douthat.
"Losing campaigns have a certain feel to them: They go negative hard, try out new messaging very late in the game, hype issues that only their core supporters are focused on, and try to turn non-gaffes and minor slip-ups by their opponents into massive, election-turning scandals. Think of John McCain’s desperate hope that elevating Joe the Plumber would change the shape of the 2008 race, and you have the template for how tin-eared and desperate a losing presidential campaign often sounds — and ever since the first debate cost Obama his air of inevitability, he and his surrogates have sounded more like McCain did with Joe the Plumber than like a typical incumbent president on his way to re-election. A winning presidential campaign would not normally be hyping non-issues like Big Bird and “binders full of women” in its quest for a closing argument, or rolling out a new spin on its second-term agenda with just two weeks left in the race, or pushing so many advertising chips into dishonest attacks on its rival’s position on abortion. A winning presidential campaign would typically be talking about the issues that voters cite as most important — jobs, the economy, the deficit — rather than trying to bring up Planned Parenthood and PBS at every opportunity. A winning presidential campaign would not typically have coined the term “Romnesia,” let alone worked it into their candidate’s speeches......"
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Sunday, October 28, 2012
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