Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
For Better or Forever
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
10 Things to Worry About
- Killer hot dogs
- Your car's planet-destroying A/C
- Forbidden fruits from afar
- Carcinogenic cellphones
- Evil plastic bags
- Toxic plastic bottles
- Deadly sharks
- The Arctic's missing ice
- The universe's missing mass
- Unmarked wormholes
The act of debunking myths is one of the greatest forms of comeuppance, and I'm a big fan of its practitioners, from Houdini all the way up to Penn & Teller. In a way, it's the modern academic version of the gentleman duelist--Aaron Burr would be proud. And now that you have 10 less things to worry about, there's plenty of room for my list of 10 things that should definitely make you wet yourself:
10 Things to Add to Your Worry List
- Being killed in a jet-pack fly-by
- Crane collapse (for New Yorkers)
- Rush-hour bridge collapse (for the rest of the U.S.)
- Coma-inducing ice cream headache (no story here, just my own private worry)
- Dropping dead during decathalon (for Olympic athletes)
- Death by pencil (for anyone who has seen The Dark Knight)
- Christian Bale's filial rage (for Chrisitian Bale's family)
- Run over by a drunk Shia LeBeouf (for Harrison Ford)
- Your next job: making novelty flags for China (for Bear Stearns employees)
- Zombie Estelle Getty (for Rue McClanahan)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Fake your own funeral
Welcome to the new Korean craze of “well-dying”. In a country infatuated with “well-being” – living and eating healthily, even to the point where tobacco-makers offer vitamin-enriched “well-being cigarettes” – training companies are now offering courses on dying a good death.
“Korea has ranked number one in many bad things such as suicide and divorce and cancer rates, so I wanted to run a programme for people to experience death,” says Ko Min-su, a 40-year-old former insurance agent who founded Korea Life Consulting, which offers fake funerals as a way to make people value life.
The rite is described as follows:
In front of an altar covered with flowers and his funeral portrait, Mr Ko instructs his trainees to choose a coffin, put on a traditional hemp death robe and then read out their wills one-by-one.
Next, it is time to be buried. Participants lie down in their coffins, while a man wearing the outfit of a traditional Korean death messenger places a flower on each person’s chest. Funeral attendants place lids on the coffins, banging each corner several times with a mallet. Dirt is thrown down on the lid, as loud as stones on a tile roof. The attendants leave the hall for five minutes – but it seemed like 30 minutes to those taking part.
Once the lids are lifted, Mr Ko asks the trainees how they felt. “When they were nailing the coffin and sprinkling the dirt, it felt like I was really dead,” Ms Baek says. “I thought death was far away but now that I have experienced it, I feel like I have to live a better life.”
I'm personally torn between thinking this is creepy and beautiful. However, the photo below (in which the participants are very much alive), does make me lean towards creepy. However, I suppose, anything that makes us put a higher value on life may be valuable on its own merits.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
How I'm going to save Christmas
Monday, July 7, 2008
The King of Bling
I don't care if gold hits $10,000 an ounce," Mr. Lam says. "I'm not melting it down."
Thursday, July 3, 2008
How to fake your own death
A hedge-fund manager who faked his own suicide and went on the run after being convicted of defrauding investors of millions of dollars turned himself in yesterday at a police station in Massachusetts.
Sure, I've thought about faking my own death--who hasn't? The value of Alex Dolan autographed memorabilia (largely old tax forms) would shoot through the roof. But let's take a closer look at how he "dun it":
His sport-utility vehicle was found June 9 on the Bear Mountain Bridge 150 feet above the Hudson River, about 40 miles north of New York City. The engine was running, and "Suicide is painless," the title of the theme song for the "M.A.S.H." television show, was scratched in the dust on the car's hood.As much as I love comeuppance, I do have a soft spot for anyone who drops a M.A.S.H. reference in their suicide note. More importantly, this begs the question: how does one correctly fake their own suicide? If a hedge-fund mastermind such as this can't get away with it, what chance do I have?
When Israel's body was not found after a lengthy search, the federal authorities launched a nationwide manhunt.
My best guess follows the steps outlined below. Disclaimer: I'm no CSI or police expert, so use at your own risk:
- You need a body. Look around--who looks like you? Who might look like you if you glued a fake nose and wig on them? Think outside the box. I'm pretty sure you can use a mannequin if you dress it in your clothing and leave your diver's license in the pocket.
- Your note: short and to the point. No one wants to read a long note--hell, I'm surpsied you made it this far down on my blog. This is one thing our hedge-fund hero had right. Be pithy, and think of your note as a sort of "suicide slogan." Possibilities include: "Can't wait to meet Leona Helmsley" or "The Washington Generals Suck."
- The new you. Face it--you're not Stuart Sugarman, investment banker, anymore. You're Jane Campion, award winning writer and director of "The Piano." Enjoy your Oscar.
- Don't turn yourself in. As much as you'll be tempted to run into a crowded police station and confess, resist the urge. It's much more fun when the police burst in on you.