Comments on: Strange Google Searches that Lead to Chaos

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 23:59:21 +0000

I think the blasted gourd is a reference to the book of Jonah.

By: Fraiser

Fraiser — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 03:53:11 +0000

Mike,

It’s great to come in contact with a fellow Sherlockian. Obviously you’ve read your share of Conan Doyle. I think you’re right that the Holmes character should be assumed to be agnostic. In fact, in Adrian Conan Doyle’s book, The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes, Holmes states forthrightly that he is an agnostic.

I also enjoyed your interesting bit of deduction regarding Roman bathroom hygiene. I find it entirely convincing! Stop by anytime with your insights.

By: ZZMike

ZZMike — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 20:59:07 +0000

Sherlock Holmes was a quintessential rationalist, like his smarter brother Mycroft. There’s no mention of Holmes’ beliefs in the Watson memoirs, so it’s probably reasonable to say the he was an agnostic. In the absence of evidence, he could not reasonably decide either for or against. We can certainly ask after Conan Doyle’s beliefs – he became an agnostic at age 16.

As to the question about the Romans, it should be obvious that they didn’t need toilet paper. There is no mention whatever in Tacitus, Caesar, Livy, Plutarch and the rest of a Roman ever going to the bathroom.

By: Fraiser

Fraiser — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 13:37:34 +0000

Luke,
Unfortunately most people don’t feel the same way about how my mind works. While at the Dollar Tree the other day (do Massachusettians shop at Dollar Trees?) I began to think that with the inflation of the dollar, the quality of the products must go down over time since the Dollar Tree has set a price ceiling (they can’t call themselves the Two Dollar Tree).

The only way to maintain the price is to reduce labor costs or material costs. Most of the products are made in China, but since the standard of living in China is increasing, the Dollar Tree will not be able to reduce labor costs. With the rising costs of energy and materials such as steel and copper they’ll not likely be able to reduce material costs.

Surely Dollar Tree executives know this. Do they have a program for cycling out the higher cost products and replacing them with cheaper products? Will I walk into Dollar Tree one day and only be able to get one light bulb instead of four for my dollar?

I thought the whole subject was interesting and decided to discuss it with Emily. Not only was she not intrigued by the problem, she was baffled that I was intrigued.

By: Luke

Luke — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:09:31 +0000

I’m assuming this is the work of Frasier. You’re too funny man, I can’t handle it. The way you’re mind works is astounding to me.