you could be anybody

Nobody looks at credit card signatures. (Vectored in alt.fan.cecil-adams, by way of Jo.)

My One True Ex writes SEE I D in the signature strip of her card, and hands over her internal passport non-driving license along with it. Waitresses nearly always hand the NDL back to her at the first opportunity, apparently assuming that she put it on the tray by mistake. Nov 2004: Improvement! These days they usually do look at the NDL.

Posted in general | Leave a comment

kissing spheres

Er, whatever you say there, Swen. Glad to know someone is still watching.

Posted in eye-candy, mathematics | Leave a comment

Dandelin spheres

Hop David illustrates and animates some theorems about conics.

Posted in eye-candy, mathematics | Leave a comment

troops overly supported

Government and the godawful greatest generation: Bob Smith traces a cluster of social ills to veterans’ benefits post 1945. (Link updated 2006.)

Posted in economics, politics | Leave a comment

politicians’ lighter moments

Statesman or Skatesman?

I found a fantastic picture of Enoch Powell MP on a pogo stick, and so decided to write to a load of MPs and Peers, to see whether any of them had ever been on other forms of children’s locomotive toys (ie Skateboards, Roller skates, Space Hoppers etc etc.)

Much to my amazement over 80 of them responded, including three Prime Ministers, five Chancellors, six Foreign Secretaries, four Home Secretaries, and three Speakers of the House of Commons.

(Link from B3ta)

Posted in general | Leave a comment

a frustrating kind of fame

Somebody posted one of my Doodles to a board in Thailand and I don’t know anyone who can translate the text there. Boo hoo.

Posted in eye-candy | Leave a comment

what’s Spanish for ‘nice try’?

Got a spam today that reads:

Important notice

We have just charged your credit card for money laundry service in amount of $234.65 (because you are either child pornography webmaster or deal with dirty money, which require us to layndry them and then send to your checking account).
If you feel this transaction was made by our mistake, please press “No”.
If you confirm this transaction, please press “Yes” and fill in the form below.

Enter your credit card number here:

Enter your credit card expiration date:

Contacts:
Phone: +5982 902 5627
Fax: +5982 902 3114
E-mail: support@fethard.biz
ICQ: 156746629

(The telephone is in Uruguay.)

Posted in spam | Leave a comment