Afternoon Musings

On the way back from lunch Dawn and I were talking about Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla (naturally). Dawn asked if I had known that Edison had electrocuted Topsy the Elephant with AC (alternating current). [Edison was a proponent of DC (direct current) and liked to electrocute things with the competing technology that Tesla championed (AC) to prove how dangerous it was.] I had mentioned that I had also read that fun fact.

We started to wonder if either of us would be able to make great enough enemies that they would resort to electrocuting animals to prove us wrong, and if so, can the size of the animal they electrocute be used as a measurement of how great of an enemy you’ve made? I vaguely remember hearing somewhere that one measure of a great person is to see how powerful their enemies are. Surely electrocuting an elephant bodes well for Tesla’s greatness. There aren’t many larger mammals that can be killed to top it (I’m looking at you whales). So what animal would you have electrocuted to prove your worth (I think I would be pleased with Riblet…)

Also I read this comment from a thread on Slashdot today. The comment itself is a non sequitur in the thread. I post it here in its entirety for your Friday afternoon reading enjoyment.

Whenever I get a package of plain M&Ms, I make it my duty to continue the strength and robustness of the candy as a species. Taking two candies between my thumb and forefinger, I apply pressure, squeezing them together until one of them cracks and splinters. That is the "loser," and I eat the inferior one immediately. The winner gets to go another round.

I have found that, in general, the brown and red M&Ms are tougher, and the newer blue ones are genetically inferior. I have hypothesized that the blue M&Ms as a race
cannot survive long in the intense theatre of competition that is the modern candy and snack-food world.

Occasionally I will get a mutation, a candy that is misshapen, or pointier, or flatter than the rest. Almost invariably this proves to be a weakness, but on very rare occasions it gives the candy extra strength. In this way, the species continues to adapt to its environment.

When I reach the end of the pack, I am left with one M&M, the strongest of the herd. Since it would make no sense to eat this one as well, I pack it neatly in an envelope and send it to M&M Mars, A Division of Mars, Inc., Hackettstown, NJ 17840-1503 U.S.A., along with a 3x5 card reading, "Please use this M&M for breeding purposes."

This week they wrote back to thank me, and sent me a coupon for a free 1/2 pound bag of plain M&Ms. I consider this "grant money." I have set aside the weekend for a grand tournament. From a field of hundreds, we will discover the True Champion.

There can be only one.