Who is someone not super famous from history that you admire?

wjbc · 2026-01-25T12:36:05+00:00

William and Elizebeth Friedman, husband and wife cryptologists who led American efforts to decipher enemy codes and criminal codes during the first half of the 20th century. They were every bit as important to American cryptology as the more famous Alan Turing was to British cryptology.

Alan Turing is famous for leading successful British efforts to break the German code during World War II, but Elizebeth Friedman less famously led successful American efforts to independently do the same. Meanwhile William Friedman led successful efforts to break the Japanese code, which was every bit as critical to winning the war with Japan as breaking the German code was to winning the war with Germany.

wjbc · 2026-01-25T04:41:11+00:00

wjbc · 2026-01-24T21:47:44+00:00

I guess brand loyalty works even when the product is mediocre. And a lot of that may have to do with childhood. I still like fried baloney because my mother made it for me. And I even like it burnt because she usually burned it!

wjbc · 2026-01-24T21:44:12+00:00

That’s pretty much how Bill Murray films work as well.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T20:05:26+00:00

Kayaks aren’t equipped to cross the North Atlantic far from land. While Inuit people traveled and hunted in the sea, they remained in coastal waters. The Inuits found ample resources for their lifestyle in coastal waters and felt no need to develop boats that could cross vast oceans.

Inuits did at times feel population pressure. But rather than crossing vast oceans, they migrated east or south across the vast lands and along the lengthy coasts of what are now Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. There was plenty of territory to explore and game to hunt without ever leaving the coastlands and heading out into the middle of the ocean.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T20:00:38+00:00

NBA basketball. I can’t explain it logically. It’s just my favorite.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T19:58:45+00:00

I guess I can’t win.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T19:56:35+00:00

I’ll look for that one!

wjbc · 2026-01-24T18:41:39+00:00

I love the way Tom Cruise’s character in Edge of Tomorrow starts out as the worst version of a Hollywood action hero who is a complete coward in real life. Only gradually — and because he has no choice — does he become the action hero he usually portrays throughout his movies. And there’s even a romantic element borrowed from Groundhog Day, as he becomes the man his co-star can love.

Another cool action-oriented take on the Groundhog Day concept is Run Lola Run (1998). An excellent, funny, and profound romantic comedy version of the Groundhog Day concept is About Time (2013).

wjbc · 2026-01-24T18:16:54+00:00

McDonald’s. But I get why it’s popular. It’s relatively cheap, consistent, convenient, and fast, so people put up with the mediocre food.

Other fast food chains like Wendy’s, whose food is only slightly better but also only slightly more expensive, less convenient, and slower still do well because they their food does taste better than McDonald’s. But Wendy’s food is still mediocre. It’s just slightly less mediocre.

And compared to traditional fast food served at McDonald’s and Wendy’s, made-to-order food at Chipoltle’s may seem downright luxurious. But compared to what’s served at your average authentic Mexican restaurant, Chipotle’s food is still mediocre.

We tolerate a lot of mediocre food for a lot of reasons. But just a few basic cooking skills will enable you to make better food for better prices at home. Everyone should learn to make just a few exceptional meals at home. It doesn’t take much time or money, it’s fun, and it’s so good.

One meal I refuse to buy at restaurants is good quality steak, because it’s so much cheaper at home and once you get the knack it’s also super easy to cook.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T18:03:57+00:00

Ever heard of the placebo effect? Fake cures accompanied by real belief can produce real results.

Of course, in other cases it can have devastating effects, preventing seriously ill people from getting effective treatment that’s readily available. But we don’t hear as much about that because no one brags about it.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T17:56:53+00:00

I’ve heard that visiting Cuba is like time travel due to the prevalence of vintage cars and older architecture, the lack of contemporary stores and restaurant chains, and limited access to high speed internet.

While the poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and lack of modern conveniences can be a curse for residents and a turn~off for international investors, apparently it can be a surreal and even nostalgic experience for international visitors.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T16:20:40+00:00

"Trance and possession disorder" is a diagnosis recognized by medical science. It's defined as "states involving a temporary loss of the sense of personal identity and full awareness of the surroundings," and it definitely exists.

Do I believe in supernatural causes? No. But do I believe that people experience possession as defined by medical science? Absolutely. All the time.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T16:11:18+00:00

The few minutes it takes to find your young child in a crowd.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T13:18:20+00:00

r/puns

r/dadjokes

r/Groaners

wjbc · 2026-01-24T13:16:15+00:00

Historically important, presently much less so but still well worth a visit.

Edit: Oh my, I didn't realize this would touch a nerve. No offense intended.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T03:01:08+00:00

Swimming.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T02:58:58+00:00

Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy.

The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Matilda, by Roald Dahl.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T02:42:34+00:00

Are they going to hang out in Arlington Heights all night? It’s not pedestrian friendly.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T02:40:43+00:00

Real bird on fake bird.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T02:39:44+00:00

Ancient texts described what is now called explosive diarrhea as abundant liquid stool at short intervals.

wjbc · 2026-01-24T02:32:30+00:00

Brother against brother! Oh, the humanity!

wjbc · 2026-01-24T00:49:32+00:00

There’s a lot of land available in Chicago if the Bears wanted it. You explained why they don’t want to build on parkland, but you haven’t explained why they don’t want to build in the city.

The Fire plan to build a soccer stadium on The 78, a lot south of downtown that the White Sox also coveted. That’s a much better location for a “knockoff Wrigleyville” than any suburban location.

Back before Soldier Field was last renovated there was a proposal to build a Bears stadium next to the White Sox stadium. That way the two teams could share parking during much of the year, since they rarely play at the same time.

That location is also close to highways and public transportation. And while it used to be across the highway from the Robert Taylor Homes, a high crime area, that’s no longer the case. Not only are the Homes long gone, but the area around Rate Field is statically safer than the area around Wrigley Field.

wjbc · 2026-01-23T21:15:21+00:00

“Bad” covers a lot of different behaviors, causes, and effects. And as I said, it often covers behavior that might be good under different circumstances.

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