http://blog.gleeson.us The Gleeson Family of Fine Blogs Sun, 31 Dec 2006 16:57:07 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Here are two Associated Press stories about a poll of American expectations for the new year. One headline reads: “AP poll: Americans optimistic for 2007.” But the other says, “Poll: Americans see gloom, doom in 2007.” These articles are reporting on the same AOL-AP poll, looking at the same data. But ... http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/31/ap_2007_poll Take a guess, and then watch the video to see if you’re right. (Via Snopes.) http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/29/eagle-vs-fox A new gadget being marketed to japanese women simulates conversation with their houseplants. The Hanakotoba plant translator can sense when a plant is being touched, and responds with 200 different affectionate phrases. I already know what Mark Steyn would say: “We are the children we never had.” http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/27/hanakotoba …with Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” performed entirely with assorted bicycle parts. (Santa-hat tip to LGF.) http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/25/take-a-music-brake “Dear Editor, I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus…” This 1897 letter to the New York Sun prompted the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper. You have certainly read it, probably many times. But did you know that the original ... http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/24/virginia-ohanlons-letter Today, the lovely and ingenious “Zorkmidden” turned 29 years young. A Grecian immigrant, Zorkie conquered the… well, whatever it was she conquered, she is now the proprietrix of Pixelatrix Games and cofoundress of Discarded Lies, where the “Celebrate zorkmidden” tribute will give you some inkling of how many lives she ... http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/23/happy-birthday-zorkie Tonight I just finished the very last level (there are 58 levels) of Weffriddles. Say, have I ever mentioned Weffriddles.com? I did? Just two days ago, you say? What day is it now? Friday? Yikes. Sorry, it’s these darned riddles. They have a way of crowding everything else out of your ... http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/22/finished-with-weffriddles Phoebe warned me, “Don’t go to Weffriddles.com unless you have a couple of hours to spare.” I should have listened. (But I did make it as far as clue 21 in only one hour.) UPDATE: Phoebe is passing the blame, to Rosaline. http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/20/weffriddles Wow. Did you know that the U.S. Geological Survey has a “Today in Earthquake History” Web page, that will instantly display all of the significant earthquakes which ever occurred on a particular date, with maps and everything? Well, now you know. http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/19/today-in-earthquake-history It was eight years ago this very day, Dec. 17, 1998 — around lunch time — that I fell in love. Eight years is not so very long ago, and yet I can no longer remember what it was like not to be in love, except for a vague ... http://blog.gleeson.us/2006/12/17/love-in-the-afternoon