Tuesday, 30 December, 2003

Information Please: Tool of the Terrorists. If you see someone carrying an Almanac call the police. I first heard this story Yahoo! News - FBI Issues Alert Against Almanac Carriers from an anchor on the local news last night. She tossed it off casually and didn't go beyond "FBI says" in source citation. I held off referring it in hopes that it would turn out to be a hoax. I suppose I knew all along it wouldn't be. Mind you, almanacs are useful things, for years now my sister has given me one for Christmas every year, New York Times 2004, also I have a Houghton Mifflin World Almanac from 1997 and some others. They are full of critical information, for instance: the percentage contribution of the agricultural sector of Burundi was 71%. in 1970, but only 50% in 2001, Jim Plunkett was NFL rookie of the year in 1971, Norman Angell won the 1933 Nobel peace prize for the book the Great Illusion and Alan Alda's real name is Alan d'Abruzzo. When I think such information could fall into the hands of Al Kayida. Or consider they may come armed with these: the family of fools is ancient. Craft must be at charge for clothes, but truth can go naked - (Franklin, collected for Poor Richard). The free world stands no chance against the almanacists. Remember if you outlaw fear mongering- when only Terrorists are able to terrify people, the terrorists will have won. 11:56:31 PM    comment [];trackback [];

© Copyright 2004 Paul Bushmiller. Last update: 1/02/04; 18:41:20.