Humor Archive
March 3, 2010
Unready for Memnon of Troy or Noah
Memnon of Troy may be one of my relatives. Noah may be also. But who isn’t related to Noah? However, I have my doubts about these long lost relatives. I’ve mention a couple of times that Shirley is working on...Read all of "Unready for Memnon of Troy or Noah"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:17 PM
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February 11, 2010
Do It Yourself Spam
Should I really have to fill in my own name on a spam email? Recently my spam filter trapped an email that began as follows, [FIRST_NAME], listen... I'm not going to waste your time or insult your intelligence with petty...Read all of "Do It Yourself Spam"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:58 PM
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February 3, 2010
A Little Egyptian Graffiti
Quinn Dombrowski at Crescat Graffiti, Vita Excolatur discovered an Egyptian text at the University of Chicago. You might fine it abnormal if not abnormally interesting. Students at the U of C seem to be skilled at multiplexing. Via משלי אדם...Read all of "A Little Egyptian Graffiti"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:50 PM
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January 30, 2010
On My Scottish Heritage
Shirley continues to research my Scottish heritage. Archibald Livingston was my 16th great granduncle, the brother of my 16th great grandfather. One source describes him as a “natural idiot.” Shirley worries that this may run in the family....Read all of "On My Scottish Heritage"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:11 PM
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January 22, 2010
A Little Out Of Control
In his latest “Skeptic” piece in Scientific American, Michael Shermer asks us to think of a time when we felt out of control and then says, “Now take a look at the top illustration on this page. What do you...Read all of "A Little Out Of Control"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:20 PM
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January 9, 2010
Cat Summoned For Jury Duty In East Boston
Considering a few jurors with whom I have served, Sal the cat might have been more helpful. His owners tried to get him off on the basis that he can't speak English. Speaking English is apparently a requirement in Sal's...Read all of "Cat Summoned For Jury Duty In East Boston"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:38 AM
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January 5, 2010
Improving the Moral Climate One Footnote At A Time
Over at Ancient Hebrew Poetry, John Hobbins has begun what I think will be a series of reviews of a trilogy that I am not likely to read. The topic is not within the scope of my normal abnormal interests...Read all of "Improving the Moral Climate One Footnote At A Time"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:28 PM
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December 16, 2009
Defending Our Western Heritage
Why are Jay Crisostomo and his wife not telling their daughter about Santa? You'll need to drop by mu-pad3-da to find out....Read all of "Defending Our Western Heritage"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:20 PM
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November 29, 2009
An Easy Labor
The other day Greg Laden and his wife welcomed a baby into the world. Aside from providing the normal statistics for young Huxley, Greg makes this abnormal observation, "Labor was 8.5 hours long, a record for our midwife. In fact,...Posted by Duane Smith at 4:18 PM
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November 24, 2009
Meeting Summary
Not being able to attend the Society of Biblical Literature or the American Schools of Oriental Research meetings this year, I eagerly await all conference reports. The Angry Professor of A Gentleman's C just filed this, The conferences were meh....Posted by Duane Smith at 9:34 AM
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November 20, 2009
"Preapproved" You Say; "Hurry" You Say
When I was in business, we used to joke that a customer was qualified if he or she was breathing and had money. And that they could get a waiver on the first of these requirements. But even the second...Read all of ""Preapproved" You Say; "Hurry" You Say"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:20 PM
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Scholars Brawl
Naturally, my first thought was that this happened at the Society of Biblical Literature meeting in New Orleans, The police were informed about the brawl at the House of Scholars at about 12:30 p.m. Several police patrols were sent to...Posted by Duane Smith at 11:29 AM
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November 13, 2009
Don't Tell Our Cat
We shopped at a new grocery store today and it doesn't look good for our cat. But it's the only kind of food he will eat....Read all of "Don't Tell Our Cat"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:13 PM
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October 21, 2009
What Do They Have Against Sewers?
Google News has an article on the discovery of the Athenaeum at Caltech in La Jolla at Claremont McKenna College in Rome. While this is not central to my normal abnormal interests, I did find something all too normal in...Read all of "What Do They Have Against Sewers?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:11 PM
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September 7, 2009
Happy Labor Day To Me
In the very early morning of September 7, 1942, also Labor Day that year, my mother was herself in labor. I was born later that same morning....Read all of "Happy Labor Day To Me"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:01 AM
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August 31, 2009
On The Wrong Mailing List Again
I just received the following email under the subject "Duane - We offer Church Loans for Refinance, Purchase, Renovations, Construction and Operating Costs." To protect the guilty, I've made a couple of modifications. Duane Smith: Please take a moment to...Read all of "On The Wrong Mailing List Again"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:07 PM
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August 28, 2009
What Now? Corrupting of Youth?
Shirley and I are enjoying a series of lectures on Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle delivered by Robert Bartlett of Emory University. They are on CD from the Teaching Company. Most evenings Socrates joins us. This one: Not this one: Socrates...Read all of "What Now? Corrupting of Youth?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:59 PM
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August 16, 2009
Mermaid Reward
Some may remember that I am a wicked amermaidist; I believe in amermaidism. It seems that folks from Kiryat Yam in Israel are testing my faith. I am applauded that they would offer a reward, $1 million no less, to...Posted by Duane Smith at 9:03 AM
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August 15, 2009
Closing The Arts Library at UCLA
Robert Cargill reports on his Official Blog plans to close the Arts Library at UCLA and relocate its collection to other on campus libraries. I believe that this is a damnable plot to ruin the health of those of us...Read all of "Closing The Arts Library at UCLA"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:26 PM
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July 31, 2009
Blog Headline Of The Day Weak Week
When the data is weak, there's always the internet poll to prop it up....
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Posted by Duane Smith at 1:36 PM
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July 12, 2009
No News Here
Bad language could be good for you, a new study shows. For the first time, psychologists have found that swearing may serve an important function in relieving pain. [snip] Although cursing is notoriously decried in the public debate, researchers are...Posted by Duane Smith at 3:37 PM
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July 8, 2009
Motivational Reading
My wife is a voracious reader. She reads three or four books a week, mostly fiction but recently she has taken up ancient Greek history and culture. She also belongs to a book club sponsored by our local public library....Read all of "Motivational Reading"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:21 PM
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June 3, 2009
King of Saudi Arabia Becomes Pope!
I never dreamed Obama's mission to bring people together would go this far. Picture copped and cropped from Huffington Post....Read all of "King of Saudi Arabia Becomes Pope!"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:23 PM
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May 17, 2009
Amazing
James Henry Breasted, 1929, It is now exactly a century since the first man able to read Egyptian hieroglyphs began the effort to record the inscriptions still in situ in Egypt by means of modern hand copies. Breasted was referring...Posted by Duane Smith at 9:35 AM
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May 11, 2009
Careful: Chinese Women's Writing Is Just A Click From Ancient Mesopotamia
For reasons uninteresting, I was browsing the Wikipedia article on Mesopotamia when I found something abnormally interesting. Nusku, a god the currently holds my attention, was perhaps listed among several other ancient Mesopotamian gods. So I took the link to...Read all of "Careful: Chinese Women's Writing Is Just A Click From Ancient Mesopotamia"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:36 AM
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April 26, 2009
Flying Too Low?
I couldn't help but laugh at this from a CNN article on the release of the federal database of collisions between aircraft and various animals. As you will see, more than birds were involved. While bird strikes account for the...Posted by Duane Smith at 8:30 AM
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April 14, 2009
How Can I Go On Without A Reference?
I was going to make fun of the last five or six words of this quotation on books: . . . welcome, assiduous companions, always ready to appear in public or go back in their box at your order, always...Read all of "How Can I Go On Without A Reference?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:11 PM
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April 8, 2009
Ingredients Ezekiel Forgot
Fresh yeast, sea salt, soybeans and sesame seeds seem to be missing from Ezekiel's recipe. I'm not so sure that Ezekiel thought of wheat gluten and malted barley either but I'll let that slide. Ezekiel 4:9 commands the people to...Read all of "Ingredients Ezekiel Forgot"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:39 PM
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February 10, 2009
Room for Confusion
One David Moulton famously asked, "Why is American beer served cold?" and then answered, "So you can tell it from urine." Did the ancient Mesopotamians have a similar problem? Sumerogram KÁŠ = beer Sumerogram KÀŠ = urine Yes, they are...Read all of "Room for Confusion"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:09 PM
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December 18, 2008
The Finest Facilities
As a break from other things, I continue to scan my old 35mm slides. I found this gem a little while ago. I took this picture in August of 1971. We were on our way to the Mitla Pass. It...Read all of "The Finest Facilities"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:17 PM
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Titles Only From Here On
November 11, 2008
Correcting A Possible False Impression
November 2, 2008
There's Abnormal and There's Just Plain Weird
August 29, 2008
Friday Loanword: māḫāzu
June 30, 2008
David Ker's Parody Carnival
June 18, 2008
The German Language and Involuntary Swearing
May 30, 2008
The Dirt on Geologists, Anthropologists and Archaeologists
May 12, 2008
A Well-rounded Individual
April 1, 2008
Not In My Family, Not This Time
March 25, 2008
A Fine Disassemblage
March 20, 2008
Chris Heard Is Using Strong Language
January 25, 2008
This May Light Up Your Life
January 5, 2008
My Predictions for 2008
December 31, 2007
How Did I Do On My 2007 Predictions?
December 15, 2007
Rated R for Metaphysics
December 10, 2007
A New Home for My Research
October 9, 2007
Depleting the Language
September 19, 2007
It Makes No More Sense in Pirate Talk
August 29, 2007
Getting Ready
July 15, 2007
On Learning Greek
July 6, 2007
Not in My Family
June 29, 2007
One of My Worshippers Sent Me an Ecard!
April 1, 2007
A New Inscription from Ugarit
February 5, 2007
A Teacher's Work is Never Done
January 3, 2007
What Is Really Going to Happen in 2007 and What Is Not
December 16, 2006
And Now For Something Completely Stupid
September 13, 2006
On the Fine Art of Unavailability
September 7, 2006
Every Day in Everyway, I'm Getting Better and Better
July 18, 2006
I Support the Presidents Right to Use the S Word
May 28, 2006
Just for Fun
May 17, 2006
Why I Seldom Make Predictions
May 6, 2006
My Mona Lisa
April 1, 2006
King David's Seal and Hebrew as the Ancestor of all Languages
April 1 Reading List
March 30, 2006
Angels in the Gaps
February 14, 2006
The Cat is On the Roof
January 22, 2006
Solving the World's Problems One at a Time - Freeway Traffic
January 12, 2006
New Arboreal Species Shows Intelligent Design
January 3, 2006
Nerdier Than Thou
November 17, 2005
New Government Mental Health Program for Seniors
November 10, 2005
The Punchline From Dover
October 30, 2005
I'm A Monkey
August 13, 2005
LA County Circumcised for State Fair
July 27, 2005
Get Your Viking Name While They Last
May 25, 2005
Make Sure You and Your Dogs and Cats Understand the Laws in California
May 18, 2005
I'm Luke Skywalker
April 30, 2005
Amazing - I'm a Little Bit Republican
April 13, 2005
A Short Lexicon of the Neo-con Language
April 1, 2005
April 1, A Dangerous Day to Post
March 20, 2005
Just Follow Your Nose
February 19, 2005
A Book in Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush
February 16, 2005
Gas Too High?