Tom McMahon

Mugs-A-Plenty: The Presurfer

Mugs-A-Plenty: The Presurfer

Taking A Day Off To Celebrate To Celebrate A Hard-Fought Victory

Not me, rather it's the French. Over the Germans. In World War II. Every May 8. When I worked on the international side of the business, I always got a chuckle out of that. Which I always kept to myself.

Aliens vs Predator Chess Set

Aliens vs Predator Chess Set

(via GravityLens)

How A U.S. Soldier Ended Up in Soviet Army In World War II

The Moscow Times has a terrific article about Joseph Beyrle, who fought for both the U.S. and Soviet armies in World War II. Here's an excerpt from his fascinating story:

Beyrle's new battalion freed his former camp, Stalag 3-C, toward the end of January, and in the first week of February, he was blown off a tank and wounded after an attack by German Stuka dive bombers. He was evacuated to a Soviet hospital in Landsberg, now in Poland, where he received a visit from one of the Soviet Union's most famous generals, Zhukov.

"While I was there Marshal Zhukov came to the hospital to talk to the wounded, and I was the only non-Russian in the hospital," Beyrle said. "He came to my bed with an interpreter and wanted to know where I was from and how I got there.

"I told him about jumping at Normandy, and the last thing he asked me was if there was anything he could do."

Beyrle told Zhukov that he had no ID papers proving he was an American.

"He didn't say anything, but the next morning the interpreter came back with an envelope with a letter in it, all in Russian, five stars up on top," Beyrle said. "I asked, 'What does it say?' He said: 'You don't have to know what it says, it will be like a passport. It will get you anyplace you'd like to go.'"

David Letterman Late Show Slideshows

David Letterman Late Show Slideshows

Board and Card Games Timeline

A list of the 50 most historically and culturally significant games published since 1800. And yes, electric football is on the list.

A New Low-Carb TV Show

For all those who have struggled to lose weight and failed: Meet George Stella, the low carb chef. Once weighing in at 465 pounds, George transformed his life with controlled carbohydrate eating. Now he shares his secrets to successful weight loss, proving that the low carb lifestyle doesn’t have to be boring.

Low Carb and Lovin' It premieres Sunday, May 9 at 12pm ET/PT.

The 9/11 Commission Could Learn More If It Talked Less

From Jonathan Rauch:

The next blue-ribbon investigative commission that Washington needs, no doubt, is a commission to investigate the mistakes made by the commission investigating the mistakes leading to the attacks of September 11. When the 9/11-investigation investigation convenes, it might consider these recommendations for the next high-power post-mortem:

• No public hearings. All interviews should be conducted in private, with transcripts made but sealed for some period to be decided by the commission, and for a year or two at least.
• Informants' confidentiality should be protected. Sources can be listed, but who said what should be off-limits until documents are unsealed.
• No sworn testimony.
• Only the commission chair and vice chair should speak to the media, and then only on matters of process. Other commission members should take a vow of silence during the investigation.
• The report should require the approval of three-fourths of the commission members, with no minority opinions to be issued.

Mugs-A-Plenty: Geek

Geek Mug

Everybody knows somebody who deserves one of these. And I betcha if you gave them one, they would use it all the time. Just a hunch . . .

The Most Overrated and Underrated Sitcoms

From American Heritage :

• The Most Overrated: I Love Lucy
• The Most Underrated: Gilligan's Island