CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
"The 'Odd Fellow' Out": an illustration from an 1891 issue of Punch magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
An illustration from an 1883 issue of Punch magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
An illustration from a 1900 issue of Harmsworth's magazine. The caption reads: "'Stay there,' she said, 'or I will move the pieces.'"
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
From the outrageous to the inspirational to the hilarious, here’s a daily reminder to break out of the old grind and do something unexpected, for the fun, the challenge, or the heck of it.
Do you deserve a nostalgic breather? Through the delicate workings of the music box, even the most dramatic compositions seem to play only for you. You’ll hear even a very familiar piece in a whole new way. Courtesy of home recording pioneer Ken Clinger, here’s today’s music box selection. It will sound surprisingly good even through built-in computer speakers, and it will cut through the ambient noise of the office without being distracting.
Featured in Today’s Music Box:
Piano Sonata #4 - movement #4 (Beethoven) performed by Ken Clinger
One's life path is marked by crossroads and signposts. If you are confronted with making a choice today, perhaps the signpost displayed here will help to characterize your situation and guide you to make a decision. If you need more guidance, refresh this page for another symbol. If both signs are the same, perhaps any choice will lead to the same outcome.
The signs are inspired by a system of symbols entitled "Spiritual Diagnosis," developed by Dr. Robert McNary of Montana. Dr. McNary actually creates nine-faceted mandala charts for people and interprets the symbols with uncanny accuracy. Dr. McNary's web site is RockyMountainAstrologer.com.
Someone should write a guide to Jerry Lewis films that aren't Jerry Lewis vehicles.*
*Inspired by Jonathan, who said, "We gave up on watching Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River. (Imagine my shock and outrage when this movie starring Jerry Lewis turned out to be nothing but a Jerry Lewis vehicle!)"
[Jonathan later added, "Did you ever see the film version of Visit to a Small Planet? See, there's a movie starring Lewis that's not a Jerry Lewis vehicle. Even Jerry Lewis's performances in the film are not Jerryesque."]
An illustration from a 1908 issue of Punch magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
Father Time stands at the finish line for the seasons' quadricycle race: an illustration from an 1897 issue of Punch magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
"Snake-Talk": an illustration from an 1867 issue of Beadle's magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
An illustration from an 1877 issue of Punch magazine. The caption reads: "An arrangement in 'Fiddle-de-dee.'"
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
![The Ghost in the [Scanning] Machine](/weblog/images/covers/ghost-scanning-machine.png)
