Tom McMahon

What Was The Weather Like On The Day You Were Born?

You can find out, if you were born in the USA and aren't older than say, me or J-Walk. Here's the weather for St. Louis on August 18, 1965, for example. For other locations, just enter the four-letter airport code, which just adds a "K" to the three-letter airport code you are familiar with. So O'Hare is KORD instead of the ORD you're used to seeing. The O'Hare weather records only go back to 1958, but other airports can go back to 1940 or so. More weather history data here.

Volkwagen Thing On The Price Is Right, Circa 1973

Volkwagen Thing On The Price Is Right, Circa 1973

What If George W. Bush Had ...

What If George W. Bush had ... 

• made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?
• If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the non-existent "Austrian language," would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?
• If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current on their income taxes, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to “Cinco de Cuatro” in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the Fifth of May (Cinco de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you have winced in embarrassment?
• If George W. Bush had misspelled the word advice would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potato as “proof” of what a dunce he is?
• If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on “Earth Day”, would you have concluded he’s a hypocrite?
• If George W. Bush’s administration had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually “get” what happened on 9-11?
• If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a teleprompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how he is inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?
• If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans, would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?
• If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved?
• So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive? Can't think of anything? Don't worry. He's done all this in 10 weeks -- so you'll have three years and nine-and-a-half months to come up with an answer.  

from Grouchy Old Cripple

New Tab

New Tab

Radio Hall of Fame Nominees

These are just the ones in the National - Pioneer category:

• Dr. Demento – the program created by Barret Hansen in 1970 that developed a cult following with its trend setting collection of novelty songs and comedy skits.
• Dick Orkin – the award-winning voice actor known for his humorous commercials and the man who created the comedy serial "Chickenman", which satirized the TV show "Batman."
• Suspense - the CBS program was "Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills" for over 20 years. The devotion to suspense over horror allowed the show to go in directions that no other show could go.
• WLS Barn Dance – the program debuted on April 19, 1924 on powerhouse WLS/Chicago’s first day on air and became an instant hit, introducing country music to the masses with a heavy dose of down-home comedy.

IMHO, they all belong in the Radio HOF. (via Christine Miller's terrific Escape and Suspense blog)

Irony For The Kids

Irony For The Kids

Official 1840 U.S. Census Statistics "Proved" That Freedom Was Bad For Black Slaves

Clayton Cramer explains:

In my book Black Demographic Data, 1790-1860, I devote a chapter to discussing how the 1840 census data was used to prove that free blacks were more likely to be "insane or idiot" or disabled the further north you went in the U.S.--and partisans of slavery used the data to prove that freedom was bad for slaves, based on this data.

While it does appear that there was actually an increase in physically disabled free blacks just north of the border, it was not because freedom was bad for blacks. It appears that the reason was that slave owners would dump disabled slaves across the border as a way of getting rid of slaves that they would otherwise have to support. (They could not free a slave in their home state without legislative permission, and this would not be granted if the goal was to dump a disabled slave onto the county poorhouse.)

All sorts of dark conspiracies were imagined for a very long time to explain how the 1840 census data ended up with these astonishing numbers--but Patricia Cline Cohen's A Calculating People: The Spread of Numeracy in Early America contains what I consider by far the most satisfying explanation--miscoding errors. The column for "idiot and insane" whites was right next to the "idiot and insane" column for blacks--and these columns were very, very long. It was therefore very easy for census marshals to accidentally enter the "idiot and insane white" count in the "idiot and insane Negro" column. Especially the further north you went, the fewer blacks there were in the population--so even moving one or two mentally disabled whites into the back column would have very disproportionate influence: the mentally ill and retarded whites who might be 1% of the white population in a small town magically became 10% of the black population.

Sears Tower Unveils Glass Ledge Suspended 1,353 feet In The Air

Sears Tower Unveils Glass Ledge Suspended 1,353 feet In The Air

Buick Sales

Buick Sales

via Joe Sherlock

Fact: Under President Obama's Healthcare Plan, You'll Be Able To Choose Your Own Doctor From Among Thousands of Friendly Physicians

Fact: Under President Obama's Healthcare Plan, You'll Be Able To Choose Your Own Doctor From Among Thousands of Friendly Physicians

World War III Propaganda Posters

World War III Propaganda Posters

R.I.P. Billy Mays

R.I.P. Billy Mays

Chess Board Made in Jerusalem

Chess Board Made in Jerusalem

Backgammon board on the other side. $97.

Eat Cheap: Moorish-Style Chickpea And Spinach Stew

Eat Cheap: Moorish-Style Chickpea And Spinach Stew

"A vegan recipe that appeals to a burger-eating guy like me"

The Bare Essentials of Safety from Air New Zealand: Those Clever Kiwis Filmed Their Entire Flight Safety Video In Body Paint

The Bare Essentials of Safety from Air New Zealand: Those Clever Kiwis Filmed Their Entire Flight Safety Video In Body Paint

Click to view the video.

Charm School

From Planet Proctor:

Two informally dressed ladies happened to start up a conversation during an endless wait at LAX. The first lady was an arrogant California woman married to a wealthy producer. The second was a well-mannered elderly woman from the South.

When the conversation centered on whether they had any children, the California woman exclaimed proudly: "When my first child was born, my husband built a beautiful mansion for me." The lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

"When my second child was born," the Beverly Hills Belle said, "my husband bought me a beautiful Mercedes-Benz." Again, the Mason-Dixon maid commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

"Then, when my third child was born," the trophy wife continued, "he bought me this exquisite diamond bracelet." Yet again, the Southern lady commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

"And what did your husband buy for you when you had your first child?" the first woman asked. "My husband sent me to charm school," declared the Southerner.

"Charm school?" the first woman cried. "Oh, my God, what on earth for?"

"Well, for example," the Southern lady responded, "Instead of saying, 'Who gives a shit', I learned to say, 'Well, isn't that precious'..."