April 14, 2003

Easily the stupidest article on Slate.com ever; Steven E. Landsburg uses economic arguments to downplay the effects of looting. What’s the economic benefit of having all of the hospitals and museums in a city looted? 11:09:15 PM

Go Leafs Go! 4-3 in double overtime. Masters champion and Red Wings fan, Mike Weir dropped a puck for the ceremonial face-off to start the game. 11:08:04 PM

Having jumped ship several years ago from the greatly diminished federal Progressive Conservative Party to lead the Quebec Liberal party, Jean Charest has won today’s election and will become the next premier of the province. No more referendums for a while! 11:04:33 PM

Literary Mystery In the books Sentry Peak, Marching Through Peachtree, and Advance and Retreat which are fantasy retellings of the Chickamauga and further southern campaigns of the American Civil War by Harry Turtledove the names of the characters and places are correspond to historical in the form of puns, translations, historical names and obscure references. For example: Duke Edward of Arlington is Robert Edward Lee – who lived in Arlington, Virginia Essoville - Gettysburg – both towns based on oil companies J ubal the Late - Gen. Jubal E. Early Peachtree Province - Georgia A list available on Usenet does not have the basis of the names for Captain Gremio and Sergeant Thisbe of the blue-clad, serf-holding northern rebel forces. Once the author gave enough hints to reveal why Sergeant Thisbe was so opposed to being promoted or having a wound treated by doctors I realized the basis of there names (use your mouse to highlight the area below): Once the author gave enough hints to reveal why Sergeant Thisbe was so opposed to being promoted or having a wound treated by doctors I realized the basis of their names.   <Spoilers below>         Thisbe is a woman hiding her identity to fight as a man which Gremio eventually realizes and falls in love with her. Once I realized this I saw that their names are based on Shakespeare’s famous lovers, Romeo and Juliet which shares the plot of the ancient Greece tale of Pyramus and Thisbe as revealed by Google. Gremio - Romeo Thisbe - Juliet Fortunately for them, they survive the war, which in a novel of backwards names maybe what’s expected. 12:25:33 AM