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50 Great Myths About Atheism – Russell Blackford and Udo Schüklenk – Book Review
Russell Blackford and Udo Schüklenk – 50 Great Myths About Atheism
When reading such a stimulating book, it is tempting to launch into a full-blown "Why I'm Not an Atheist" essay; or a commentary for each of the 50 myths, one by one. Neither are appropriate for this short book review. I'll try my best to stick to the task at hand.
The authors write in an accessible style. The 50 myths are collected into eight categories, such as Atheism, Ethics and the Soul and Religion and Science. The reader can easily skim the table of contents, and zero in on the most challenging topics.
With 50 myths to choose from, plus a ninth part that summarises the new atheist movement, readers will find a few surprises in the mix. For example, I was unaware that atheists are accused of communism.
For an academic publication, the book reads as light and entertaining, peppered with humorous cartoons from Mohammed Jones' Jesus and Mo. But this is not simply fluff. The authors are careful to select real objections, not a set of "easy targets". Each of the myths is thoroughly referenced, and could be used as a primer for further research into any of the topics.
Parts two through five (or myths 11 – 37) hinge on immature "atheism is yucky!" objections. There are such clangers as Atheists Don't Give to Charity; Atheists Have No Sense of Humor; and Atheism is Depressing. I agree with the authors – none of these objections necessarily follow from atheism.
My own criticisms of atheism are – at least I hope – not emotional, but epistemological. Firstly, I find the debate to be a polarising oversimplification. With a section entitled Have We Defeated Theism? and constant reference to their "religious apologist" opponents, this book often perpetuates this adversarial position.
Theravada Buddhism is briefly explored as a grey area (p. 12). It is not necessarily theistic, in that it doesn't posit the existence of gods, but it does involve "supernatural" elements. This leads me to my second criticism of the atheist movement – there is no clear definition of what it means to be an atheist.
The word could be interpreted in at least one of two ways: without theistic belief (what I will call the passive version); or against theistic belief (the active version). This ambiguity comes in handy when atheists are argued into a corner.
The authors settle on "people who lack belief in any God or gods" (p. 19) as their working definition – which reads like the passive version. They sympathise with a view that, when they're not writing books about atheism, it is not as central to their lives as religious belief is to religious people (p. 12). I find this unconvincing. When one blogs; speaks on podcasts and in public forums; and publishes articles and books about atheism, I can't help but see that as an active form of atheism.
I can see the motivation for this definition. A major criticism against atheism is that you cannot logically prove a negative. Making the positive claim, that God does not exist, is not something that could ever be proven beyond doubt (what if He's just hiding in a teapot?). The authors confront this head on in Myth 4 – Atheists are Certain There is No God.
Whether this treatment is satisfying or not is up to the reader. However, the entire structure of this book is, itself, a commendable step in the right direction. You cannot prove a negative, but you can falsify the positive claims of your opponents. This is how science progresses so successfully, and this is exactly the approach taken up by the authors here. They line up 50 claims from their opponents, and shoot them down one by one.
If you're still coming to grips with your own opinion on this issue, this book is a great introduction to the atheist position. If this is your tenth book on atheism, then it will still help strengthen your arguments, but I also recommend picking up some round pegs that don't easily fit into the square hole this debate creates. Go read some Carl Jung; Joseph Campbell; Baruch Spinoza; William James; Plotinus; Alan Watts… And that's just a small portion of the western canon – less than half of the options the world's cultures have generated.
Official book launch
The Co-op bookshop will be holding an official book launch, presented by Dr. Joe Mintoff, with special guest appearance by author Russell Blackford.
- When: 4:30pm, Tuesday, 22nd October.
- Where: The Co-op bookshop, Shortland Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan.
- Please RSVP to email@example.com by 15th October.


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EnergyResearchers use electricity to generate alternative fuel
Scientists show that we can use electricity to power our cars — even if these cars are not electric vehicles; the researchers demonstrated a method for converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuel isobutanol using electricity
Imagine being able to use electricity to power your car — even if it is not an electric vehicle.
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have for the first time demonstrated a method for converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuel isobutanol using electricity.
Today, electrical energy generated by various methods is still difficult to store efficiently.
Chemical batteries, hydraulic pumping, and water splitting suffer from low energy-density storage or incompatibility with current transportation infrastructure.
A UCLA release reports that in a study published 30 March in the journal Science, James Liao, UCLA's Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Chair in Chemical Engineering, and his team report a method for storing electrical energy as chemical energy in higher alcohols, which can be used as liquid transportation fuels.
"The current way to store electricity is with lithium ion batteries, in which the density is low, but when you store it in liquid fuel, the density could actually be very high," Liao said. "In addition, we have the potential to use electricity as transportation fuel without needing to change current infrastructure."
Liao and his team genetically engineered a lithoautotrophic microorganism known as Ralstonia eutropha H16 to produce isobutanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol in an electro-bioreactor using carbon dioxide as the sole carbon source and electricity as the sole energy input.
Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy to chemical energy and storing it in the bonds of sugar. There are two parts to photosynthesis — a light reaction and a dark reaction. The light reaction converts light energy to chemical energy and must take place in the light. The dark reaction, which converts CO2 to sugar, doesn't directly need light to occur.
"We've been able to separate the light reaction from the dark reaction and instead of using biological photosynthesis, we are using solar panels to convert the sunlight to electrical energy, then to a chemical intermediate, and using that to power carbon dioxide fixation to produce the fuel," Liao said. "This method could be more efficient than the biological system."
Liao explained that with biological systems, the plants used require large areas of agricultural land. However, because Liao's method does not require the light and dark reactions to take place together, solar panels, for example, can be built in the desert or on rooftops.
Theoretically, the hydrogen generated by solar electricity can drive CO2 conversion in lithoautotrophic microorganisms engineered to synthesize high-energy density liquid fuels. The low solubility, low mass-transfer rate, and the safety issues surrounding hydrogen, however, limit the efficiency and scalability of such processes. Instead Liao's team found formic acid to be a favorable substitute and efficient energy carrier.
"Instead of using hydrogen, we use formic acid as the intermediary," Liao said. "We use electricity to generate formic acid and then use the formic acid to power the CO2 fixation in bacteria in the dark to produce isobutanol and higher alcohols."
The release notes that the electrochemical formate production and the biological CO2 fixation and higher alcohol synthesis now open up the possibility of electricity-driven bioconversion of CO2 to a variety of chemicals.
In addition, the transformation of formate into liquid fuel will also play an important role in the biomass refinery process, according to Liao.
"We've demonstrated the principle, and now we think we can scale up," he said. "That's our next step."
The study was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA–E).
— Read more in Han Li et al., "Integrated Electromicrobial Conversion of CO2 to Higher Alcohols," Science335, no. 6076 (30 March 2012): 1596 (DOI: 10.1126/science.1217643)

subset: commoncrawl


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In the past several decades, global competitiveness has driven industries of all types to pursue a labor cost reduction model. The trend in North America alone has resulted in the following path:
- Reduce cost in high cost environment
- Move product to lower cost nation ( Mexico or Eastern Europe )
- Move product to next lower cost nation ( China or Southeast Asia )
We are sure the reader may have participated in such outsourcing events that advertised huge savings to the manufacturer and in some cases, other parts of the supply chain. The company reaped benefits in labor and redundancy costs that hopefully offset inventory and transportation costs. But as we all know, the manufacturing environment is in a constant state of change. The failure to recognize the static nature of the business coupled with the failure of manufacturers to comply with disciplined global production systems has caused the participants to revisit the value of outsourcing and the opportunities associated with reshoring. To be clear, reshoring is the practice of returning outsourced products and assets back to the location (geographic selection) from which they were originally outsourced or removed.
Recently the global economy has demonstrated changes in several areas:
- Increased wages in places like China and Southeast Asia
- Perpetual quality issues on product shipped from these locations resulting in:
- Containment
- Rework
- Unforeseen working capital levels sitting in sea-barring containers
- Poor delivery performance resulting in premium transportation cost to the end user and members of the various supply chains.
These and other issues have now begun a trend in manufacturing to bring work content back to an original location. The challenge of course is to not make the same errors in reshoring as occurred in outsourcing.
Our firm began to notice the impact on reshoring globally in 2012. We noticed that firms moving on the strategy were doing so for a number of reasons. The reasons were:
- Customer focus charged them to revaluate the manufacturing locations
- Supply chain capability was sorely lacking.
- Manufacturing capability
The key recognition was that one could obtain a low cost labor force and install it much faster than incorporating customer focused processing based on a recognizable production system in machining, final assembly and supply chain. The reader at this point should not be confused. We are not advocating the huge global move back to a previous location. We are simply asking the reader to contemplate the following questions.
- Are you ready to build in China for China customers?
- Are you ready to utilize higher level capital to offset the higher cost of labor?
- Are you ready to utilize communication systems that enhance products and customers in the respective geographic locations?
- Is your entire organization deeply committed to lean principles, especially:
- Standard work
- Quality at the source
- Material flow
- Error proofing
- Is your entire enterprise cognizant of value stream mapping and the opportunities that come with it?
Let's discuss the three main reasons noted earlier citing opportunities for the manufacturer.
Customer focus on manufacturing locations
Far too often locations are selected on a very restricted business model. An example is the selection of a low labor location where low labor costs dominate the reasoning for selection and subsequent business model. Flash forward fifteen years. The work force is more expensive. Customer requirements are much more stringent. Pricing strategies have changed. One wakes up to find that the fifteen year old business model is no longer competitive. We think the opportunities lay in the production system both internally and in the supply chain. There is no reason to believe that a blend of a number of strategies cannot enhance the selection process. The focus should always be on what is best for the customer maximizing the initiatives and metrics associated with:
- Quality
- Delivery
- Cost
- Technology
All should be reviewed equally resulting in advantages for the customer in quality and delivery and the manufacturer in cost and profitability.
Supply chain capability
If there has been a forgotten link in this model over the years it is the assumption that the supply chain can move at the same rate of speed and capability as the original equipment producer. Areas often neglected are training, communication, and infrastructure. How many times does the supplier in China completely misunderstand the needs of the OE? Probably more than we collectively want to admit. The supply chain partner must be just that –partner. Not an afterthought in the model. We think the suppliers should participate actively in the early stages of product and process development. We find the capability of the supply chain declines with the tier level of the value chain. It is especially evident in two areas. The first is in preliminary quality metrics. The second is in total launch readiness. Both areas result in delays and lost profits. We find that companies "going and seeing" the supply chain capability, communicating changes in processing and pricing, and openly review critical targets and dates are the most successful.
Manufacturing capability
Many feel with the advent of labor to low cost countries, that companies focused less on manufacturing technology. As a result progress in computer aided design (CAD), computer numerically controlled (CNC) and internet based manufacturing was slowed in many countries. The role of lean manufacturing was present, but too many missed the opportunity to embrace a lean enterprise. In the last several years as the low labor model was reevaluated, the technology based model has grown in favor. Reshoring efforts combining the opportunity of higher level capital with a strong production system are doing well. With the improving economy the biggest challenge has been in capacity capability. We find that companies recognizing that there is validity and confidence in the volume releases and move responsibly in the area of capital appropriation do best.
We think the next several years will continue to provide challenges for reshoring and outsourcing of products and services. Those having a more macro view will do best. Additionally, those recognizing the needs of the global customers will do best, Finally, those having the agility to move quickly with volume and market shifts will do best.


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There are few more iconic images of modern engineering excellence than an F1 racing car. The cars and the whole industry behind them are a heady mix of extremes.
A dry-weather F1 tire will reach temperatures of over 900oC. When an F1 driver hits the brakes, he and the car experience deceleration comparable to a regular car driving through a brick wall, and that on every bend of every lap. We expect our car engines to last us for a decent 10 years. F1 engines are pushed to perform and may only last 10 hours of racing before blowing up. Without aerodynamic down force, high-performance racing cars have sufficient power to produce wheel spin at 160 km/hour and would simply take off like a plane. But it's not magic – it's the power of human imagination and engineering skill.
Behind the globetrotting circus that is top class motor racing, there are many companies and individuals who make it happen. While there are not many castings on an F1 car and not many cars, the ones that do get used have to be the very best the foundry industry can produce. There are not many companies in this market either, but one of the few is Grainger & Worrall. Based in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England, the company is a 3rd generation family-owned business. Started in the 50's as a pattern making partnership, these key skills remain one of the cornerstones of today's success. In 2008 the company completed and delivered over 250 new complex component projects. For each one of these projects a pattern will have to be made, a casting technique chosen, a mould made, poured, knocked out, the casting inspected, machined and a quantity shipped. Grainger & Worrall's strengths are the ability to produce one-off's and small volumes of castings quickly, in aluminum and cast iron using conventional sand and the Cosworth Casting process. For their prototype, autosport and small production volume customers, time is often the key - it's a race to the delivery date, which is sometimes only 2 weeks from the placement of an order.
While the company has maintained its core skills in pattern making, methoding, metallurgy and casting technology and design, the last decade has seen the implementation of all the tools and techniques available to reach the peak of excellence and win the race to the delivery deadline. The full range of CAD/CAM tools are in use, including a 4-core parallel license of MAGMASOFT®, MAGMAiron and MAGMAstress. In order to use customer CAD data, Grainger & Worrall naturally has a strong set of CAD skills to manipulate 3D models and concept design so that pattern tooling can be made quickly. By using simulation, time and money can be saved by getting it right first time. Methods engineers are often faced with the choice between a simpler and cheaper pattern or a more complex method. These decisions are made at Grainger & Worrall using MAGMASOFT®. The company also had the first CT scan machine in a UK foundry, which allows both the metallurgical quality and dimensional accuracy of its castings to be checked to the highest level.
The investment in both traditional skills and new technology has enabled the company to significantly increase sales turnover in recent years. But once this week's race has been run and another one-off or small batch of castings delivered on time, there's no time to rest. The race for success goes on with another order and another customer deadline to meet or beat.


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Become a CBN partner and receive The Transforming Word: Verses to Overcome Fear and Experience Peace, our special DVD/CD gift to you.
CBN Partners are making a difference sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Find out how.
CBN.com Who could forget Lulu Roman of the long-running TV hit Hee Haw? Yet forgotten is exactly how she felt as an orphan in Dallas, Texas. They say that comediennes often come from very painful backgrounds -- that they use humor to hide that pain. Lulu openly shares the story behind her unique brand of humor.
ROSS: When did it strike you that you had some real talent for show biz?
ROMAN: I never really thought about having talent for show biz as much as I thought about someone paying attention to me.
ROSS: Who did?
ROMAN: Buck Owens. He said, 'One of these days you're going to be a big star, and I'm going to have something to do with it.' I says, 'Keep talking, cowboy.' (laughs) So when they put together the Hee Haw show, there were a couple of fellows from Canada that had seen Laugh-in and thought, 'This could be a good thing. We could do country music in this and do real well.' So they made a list: one gorgeous blonde and one gorgeous brunette; one girl next door-type and one boy next door-type; one fat, dumb man and one fat, dumb woman. Buck said, 'I got your girl. She's in Dallas!'
ROSS: And you were which one?
ROMAN: I was the gorgeous blonde, of course! (laughs) He said, 'They're going to do this country and western-type show, and they're going to call it Hee Haw.' I said, 'Hee what?' He said, 'Hee Haw, like a donkey.' I said, 'Sure.' He said, 'There's going to be a lot of money.' I said, 'Keep talkin'.'
ROSS: Now you're listening, right?
ROMAN: They put me on a big jet plane, and they flew me to Hollywood, CA. Took me to CBS television studios. The first person I saw was Carol Burnette. I'll never forget as long as I live. She met us in the hall and said, 'Shut your mouth, child. You're fixin' to be one of us.'
ROSS (reporting): Then came the audition. Lulu was high on drugs at the time.
ROSS: The success was almost instantaneous. What did that do to you? All of a sudden, the acceptance you'd been looking for...
ROMAN: I [almost] missed it because I was so messed up on drugs.
ROSS: You were wacked when you were doing the show?
ROMAN: Oh yeah, I was... most of the time.
ROSS: Did it eventually cost you?
ROMAN: I ended up getting busted not once, but twice, for possession of dangerous drugs. It ended up costing me losing my position on the Hee Haw show for a whole year. In the middle of that, I found out that I was very much with child.
ROSS: Married at the time?
ROMAN: Nope, not married. I left there very bitter, very angry, thinking that if there was a God. He certainly didn't love me because He dumped me.
ROSS: It's His fault.
ROMAN: That's right because I never got to have a Momma. I never got to have a Daddy.
SCOTT ROSS: Lulu, you grew up in an orphanage, and this was when you were around 4? Is this your first memories of an orphanage?
LULU ROMAN: You think you don't have very many memories of a childhood, but I have vivid memories of September 10, 1950. That was the day I was dropped in an orphans' home.
ROSS: By whom? Who dropped you off?
ROMAN: My grandmother.
ROSS: Wow. You had to go through rejection and all this isolation, identity crises, all that kind of stuff. Throwaway kid?
ROMAN: I think I probably felt it a little harder than most of them because I was 'the fat kid.' I came in with a thyroid problem, and I got things like, 'Fatty, fatty, 2 x 4, can't get through the kitchen door.' I realize now that even then the enemy had plans to speak death to my spirit.
ROSS: You can flip that off now with humor?
ROMAN: Yeah, I can.
ROSS: But was that part of the defense mechanism.
ROMAN: Oh, yes. It was. I learned very early on that I could use a quick wit that the Lord had given me to have people laugh with me instead of at me.
ROSS: Did you have any kind of spiritual input or background in a school like that or in an orphanage like that?
ROMAN: We had that good ol' religion shoved down our throats. We were made to memorize the Scriptures. We were made to learn the songs. I remember sitting in church, and we were offered things like, 'If you'll promise you'll never touch a drop of liquor, you can come stand here.' Bang! Right up there. Never drank. But nobody said, 'If you'll promise you'll never do drugs '. You stayed until you either were adopted, or your parents or your family came to retrieve you. Mine never did, and I never got adopted. They didn't adopt fat kids.
ROSS: What about that? You would see some of your friends get adopted and leave, go off to a family. And you're left standing there. They don't care about the fat kid, the Lulu, who is dying inside. How did you handle that?
ROMAN: You sat in your closet and you cried. You sat in the window, and you watched the cars drive by. You thought, 'If I could just have a Momma or a Daddy, or a brother or a sister, or a room of my own.' I never had a bicycle. I never had a puppy. I never had any of those things that normal people had.
ROSS: How old were you when you got out of the orphanage?
ROMAN: I had just turned 18.
ROSS: So you had your own option then to choose to leave?
ROMAN: Well, no, when you turned 18, bye.
ROSS (reporting): Lulu admits there were many good things about the orphanage, too. When she left they helped her find a job at the telephone company.
ROMAN: So I turned into an operator with a very bad mouth because the first thing I wanted to do was learn how to cuss.
ROSS: What?!
ROMAN: Got it down real good. (laughs)
ROSS: What was that about?
ROMAN: Well, because I spent my whole life listening to people say, 'Thou shalt not,' and I thought, 'Oh, yes thou wilt!' (laughs) Everything that they said I couldn't do I did with gusto, Honey. (laughs) Got fired from that job real quick.
ROSS: Did the drugs help the hole in your heart?
ROMAN: Oh yeah, temporarily. I could get high enough that I just went into my own little world, and that hurt did not hurt me anymore. I could just fly and have a wonderful time. I didn't have to worry about whether anybody saw me and thought I was ugly or unacceptable or unlovable or unworthy.
ROSS (reporting): The last time Lulu left jail for drug possession, she ran into Diane, who'd grown up in the same orphanage.
ROMAN: She wanted to tell me about Jesus. The first thing I wanted to do was say, 'Don't try to come at me with that. You grew up in the same place I did. Don't even try it.' She said, 'Louise, just listen to me. Let me tell you that Jesus is real. Let me tell you how He's changed my life.'
ROSS (reporting): The love that Lulu saw in Diane was quite different from the religion of her youth. She agreed to go church, heard who God really is, and in time, came to know Jesus as her Savior. And the drugs?
ROMAN: Whenever I got down on my knees and gave my life to the Lord, in that place, I mean, instantly He took those drugs away from me.
ROSS: No withdrawal?
ROMAN: Never. Not one second.
ROSS: No cold turkey stuff.
ROMAN: No. Gone. Just gone.
ROSS: Wow. Did the Hee Haw people know that there'd been a change in you?
ROMAN: They did instantly. (laughs) It changed the way I looked.
ROSS: Your whole demeanor had changed?
ROMAN: Yeah, the whole demeanor had changed.
ROSS: Did they want you back?
ROMAN: They said, 'Will you come back?' And I said, 'I'll tell you this: I'll pray about it.'
ROSS (reporting): Lulu did indeed return to Hee Haw and stayed until the show's close in 1995. Since, she's shared her testimony widely and recorded gospel albums. Lulu is quite serious about sharing her humor, her help, and her faith in God.
ROMAN: We have started the Lulu Roman's orphan fund. I know I can't gather up a ton of these kids and adopt them and take care of them, but I can make them laugh for a little while. I can take them to great places and take their minds off of feeling sad. And that's what I want to do.
Scott Ross welcomes your feedback.
Read more of Scott's interviews.
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.


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Greenington Bamboo Furniture Lead Time: Usually ships in 2-5 days after you order.


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The 9-Piece Travel Flatware Set with Steak Knife (Satin Black) is perfect for when you are on the go! This set is made of high quality food grade stainless steel, and it comes in a cloth flatware roll that makes it easy to pack in any lunchbox or lunch bag for school or work. You can also easily tuck it in a backpack, purse or even your jacket pocket. This set is the perfect plastic-free option for eating away from home. It's compact, stylish and puts you in control of knowing how your flatware was cleaned. Having your own set also beats dealing with flimsy plastic cutlery that tends to bend and break.
⭐ Made of food grade stainless steel.
⭐ Painted handles.
⭐ Set includes a 8" fork, 9" knife, 7.3" spoon, 9" set of chopsticks, 8.5" straight straw, 8" bent straw, 2 straw cleaning brushes, and a utensil roll for storage and travel.
⭐ Reusable and eco-friendly.
*All measurements are approximate.
The current processing time is 1-5 business days. Most orders ship in a day or two. This is in addition to the transit time shown at checkout when selecting your shipping method.


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We look over the shoulder of JURA's roastmaster to discover the secrets of perfectly fresh coffee enjoyment. 02 / 2017
All the pleasure of coffee at the touch of a button – freshly ground and freshly extracted. That's what 70 engineers at JURA are working for. CoffeeBreak portrays four of them. 01 / 2016
When people choose a premium-brand product, there are both rational and emotional aspects involved. The collaboration with tennis star Roger Federer came about to reinforce the aura that surrounds our brand. 01 / 2021
Three real-life examples from places where professional automatic machines from JURA have made themselves indispensable. 01 / 2019
What began 90 years ago as a one-man company has grown to become an international business operating in around 50 countries worldwide. JURA developed into a global player and is now an innovation leader in automatic speciality coffee machines. 01 / 2021
How coffee grounds from the JURA laboratory help to create more fertile fields in the surrounding countryside. 01 / 2019
Service innovations set new standards in Niederbuchsiten. 01 / 2017
'Straight to the point' is one of Werner Zemp's maxims: we talk to the doyen of Swiss industrial design.01 / 2016
Dropping in on Ronald Büttler and the team who defined the look of the new Z6.01 / 2015
'JURA products simply last longer.' For decades customers have been telling us this again and again, and it reflects our philosophy both in the past and today. 01 / 2021
Martin Bürki, Area Manager for JURA in the Far East, takes us on a fascinating stroll through his hometown. 01 / 2017
David Stanborough, head of the JURA shop-in-shop at the renowned Harrods emporium, takes us to the highlights of the pulsating metropolis. 01 / 2019


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NEW YORK (AP) — A woman who lodged a sexual harassment allegation against former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was "disgusted" by what she saw as his hypocrisy and attempts to discredit women who made similar allegations against his brother, her lawyer said Sunday.
The woman's complaint became known shortly after CNN fired the "Cuomo Prime Time" anchor Saturday night. Chris Cuomo had been criticized for breaching journalistic ethics by trying to help his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, beat his own harassment charges.
The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, took her allegations against Chris Cuomo to CNN on Wednesday through her lawyer, Debra Katz.
Katz did not give any specifics about the alleged behavior, believed to have occurred before Cuomo joined CNN in 2013. Prior to that, he worked at ABC News.
Chris Cuomo, through a spokesman, said the charges were untrue. "If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwarranted termination," the spokesman said.
Katz also tied Cuomo's firing to the accusations, saying in a statement that "CNN acted promptly on my client's complaint and fired Mr. Cuomo."
CNN suspended Cuomo on Tuesday after learning through documents released by New York's attorney general that his actions in support of his brother were more extensive than previously known. A law firm was hired by CNN to look into Cuomo's actions, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, then determined the network had cause to fire him.
With the new misconduct allegations, the network had little taste for another investigation and CNN chief Jeff Zucker informed Cuomo of the firing on Saturday.
Katz said in Sunday's statement that her client was motivated by Cuomo's statements, regarding allegations against his brother, that he cared deeply and profoundly about issues of sexual misconduct. The woman also believed that Cuomo "played an active role in attempting to smear women" who had accused his brother, she said.
"Hearing the hypocrisy of Chris Cuomo's on-air words and disgusted by his efforts to try to discredit these women, my client retained counsel to report his serious sexual misconduct to CNN," the lawyer said.
The new misconduct allegation comes after a veteran TV executive, Shelley Ross, wrote a column for The New York Times in September saying Chris Cuomo had groped her at a party 16 years ago, when they both worked for ABC News. Cuomo told the newspaper "I apologized to her then, and I meant it."
In responding to criticism of his actions regarding his brother, Cuomo has said that he was simply trying to help him — telling his CNN audience shortly after Andrew Cuomo resigned in August that "it's never easy being in this business and coming from a political family."
"I never attacked, nor encouraged anyone to attack, any woman who came forward," Cuomo said on the air. "I never made calls to the press about my brother's situation."
However, in an email from last March newly released by the New York attorney general, Cuomo told one of his brother's aides that "I have a lead on the wedding girl." It was in reference to a woman who said in news reports she was uncomfortable with how the governor touched her when they met at a wedding.
Chris Cuomo, in testimony to Attorney General Letitia James' investigators, explained that a "source" had called him and suggested that maybe the accuser had "been put up to" making the accusation. He relayed that to his brother's aides, however they told him the woman had made her discomfort known soon after it happened.
Cuomo also testified to investigators — a month before he told CNN viewers he had not called the press about his brother's situation — that he had reached out privately to media figures to find out if there would be other accusers.
Cuomo has said he never tried to influence his own network's coverage of his brother's problems, and no evidence has emerged that he did.
His firing leaves a hole in CNN's weeknight lineup. Even while competing in the same time slot with industry heavyweights Sean Hannity on Fox News Channel and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, Cuomo was generally the most-watched personality on CNN.
Michael Smerconish will substitute for him this week.


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Tommy & The High Pilots on Last Call with Carson Daly
Tommy made an appearance on Last Call recently and we've got the clip below!
The new record is out now. Check it out on Amazon, on iTunes, and anywhere else you love to get music. The High Pilots have also just announced tour dates with The Dangerous Summer. Find out when they're coming to your town HERE.
Only Human available NOW
The new album from Tommy & The High Pilots is available NOW. Find it on iTunes, Amazon and other quality retailers!
You can also catch the band this Monday, June 3rd on Last Call with Carson Daly. Check local listings.
New Tommy & The High Pilots Album
Tommy & The High Pilots new album Only Human will be in stores May 28th. You can pre-order it right now HERE. Check the band's website for new tour dates. The High Pilots have also released the title track from the new record and an incredible new lyric video featuring the album's artwork by artist David Diamant. Check it out below.
Redbird Welcomes P.D.A.
We're thrilled to announce that Los Angeles-based Hip-Hop artist (and so much more!) P.D.A. is the newest addition to the Redbird Records & Touring family. If you haven't experienced P.D.A. yet, start HERE by getting almost 40 songs for free. Then, on February 14th swing by and pick up his new mixtape "The Boy That Gets The Girl." See the video below for a sneak peak at the new mixtape. We've got a lot planned so stay tuned here, our facebook page, and P.D.A.'s official site.
A Tommy & The High Pilots Christmas
Don't miss The Pilots' annual Christmas extravaganza in their hometown of Santa Barbara, CA. Tickets are on sale now!
Tommy & The High Pilots cover Talking Heads in NYC
Tommy & The High Pilots just put up this of video of their acoustic cover of the Talking Heads classic.
They also have a handful of tour dates coming up in Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Tulsa and more before they begin work on their new album. New album?! That's right. Songs are written and recording will begin very, very soon for a full length Tommy & The High Pilots album to be released next year. If you want to hear some of the new songs, the band has been playing several live so go see these shows! And if you can't make it.... start surfing YouTube, they're on there.
Tommy & The High Pilots: MTV's Buzzworthy
Tommy stopped by MTV in New York and performed an acoustic version "Where to Start" for Buzzworthy. Take a look HERE and make sure to check out the band's TOUR DATES for upcoming shows in L.A., Chicago, St. Louis, and Denver.
Ludo Took Manhattan
Ludo took Manhattan last month and a good time was had by all. Special thanks to Electric Sun and P.D.A. Check out the evening's "Love Me Dead" sing-along in the video below, and you can find pictures from the show right HERE.
Ludo TAKES Manhattan
Ludo has announced that on April 28th they'll be taking over Manhattan. Tickets are on sale right now for Ludo's show at The Highline Ballroom in NYC. There will be no Ludo tour this year, so wherever you are - you don't want to miss this show! Get all the info HERE.
New Video from Tommy & The High Pilots
Tommy & The High Pilots celebrated Valentine's Day by releasing a new music video for "Lonely Place" from their Sawhorse Sessions EP. They worked with director Scott Culver once again, check out the video below, and don't miss The High Pilots on the road right now with Allen Stone.


text:
No time for romance
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text:
From Homestar Runner Wiki
- This article is about the Strong Bad Email in which the computers come out of retirement. For the email that asks about Strong Bad retiring, see replacement.
Strong Bad Email #159 |
The Lappy-nappers are revealed! Can Strong Bad save his beloved fold-em-up computer?
Cast (in order of appearance): Strong Bad, Marshie, The Sad Kids, Female Lappy 486, Tandy 400, Compy 386, The Paper, Homestar Runner, The King of Town, Marzipan, The Cheat, Strong Sad, Strong Mad
Places: Basement of the Brothers Strong, Bubs' Concession Stand, Computer Room, Carnival Tent, The Field
Computers: Tandy 400, Compy 386, Lappy 486
- Part A released (as "retirement"; changed to "retirement A" the next day): Monday, October 2, 2006
- Part B released (as "retirement B"): Tuesday, October 3, 2006
- Parts A and B combined released (as "retirement (combined)"): Monday, October 9, 2006
- Name changed to just "retirement": Sunday, October 22, 2006
Running Time: 6:53
Page Title: Lappy 486
DVD: strongbad_email.exe Disc Five
Contents |
[edit] Transcript
{Open in Strong Bad's computer room, coming in on a worried Strong Bad, while suspenseful music plays.}
STRONG BAD: My computer's been Lappy-napped!
{A record scratches and the screen dims, Marshie comes in from the bottom of the screen.}
MARSHIE: Hello, Kenneth!
{Marshie flies across a yellow background.}
MARSHIE: Hear me roar!
{Marshie growls for a moment, then opens his mouth wide, the background turns red, sound lines come out of his mouth, and he meows. Cut to a shot of the Sad Kids standing on top of Marshie.}
MARSHIE: That's right, kids!
{Silhouettes of the main characters scroll across the page, with big question marks over them. As he names the sweepstakes, the name appears on the screen.}
MARSHIE: Play the Fluffy Puff Marshmallows My Lappy Got Stole! Sweepstakes and win big!
{As Marshie says "big", he grows a large, fat, white body, and his voice deepens. Cut to a shot of a bicycle. Marshie's voice is back to normal.}
MARSHIE: First prize,—
{A shot of a metal detector}
MARSHIE: —second tries,—
{Marshie, in a car, driving along with mountains in the background}
MARSHIE: {singing} Take a trip to the mountains... {these words appear above the mountains, written on a musical staff}
{The screen dims and Marshie comes down from the top with a top hat and a cane.}
MARSHIE: I'm a song and dance man!
{Cut to a wooden desk, with a note card on it.}
MARSHIE: Just email who you think done it on a 3x5 note card,—
{"it was the HIPPO!" is written on the note card.}
MARSHIE: —stick a Fluffy Puff on each corner,—
{Four marshmallows appear, one stuck on each corner of the card. Cut to Marshie, talking through gritted teeth, in front of a portrait of an older marshmallow-like woman.}
MARSHIE: {in an irritated and mysterious voice} —AND JUST WALK AWAY, MOTHER. {Cut to the ad on the TV in Strong Bad's basement. Marshie is next to a bag of Fluffy Puff Marshmallows.}
MARSHIE: Fluffy Puff Marshmallows. Yeah! Still!
{The words "Yeah! Still!" appear underneath Marshie. Cut to Strong Bad lying on the couch, surrounded by empty chip packets of various descriptions.}
STRONG BAD: You gotta be kidding me. Man, everybody's trying to make a buck or nine off my heart-drooping loss.
{He feels around in the nearest bag of chips, and finds that it's empty.}
STRONG BAD: Oh, perfect. Now I'm out of my antidepressant. Nothing dulls the pain quite like several dozen half-full bags of {as he lists the flavorings, symbols for them appear at the top of the screen} Italian-herb-chipotle-buffalo-ranch-guacamole-Thai-peanut-style chippety-chomps. I guess I'll slink off to Bubs' and refill my prescription. Slinnnk...
{Strong Bad somehow slides up and over the armrest of the couch, and off screen. Cut to Strong Bad at Bubs' Concession Stand. Bubs is nowhere to be seen.}
STRONG BAD: Bubs! Hello? Can I get a witness? Bubs? {looks around the stand, and screams}
{Pan to the side of the stand, we see the Lappy's power cord hanging off the roof. Tense music plays.}
STRONG BAD: The Lappy's tail! I'll save you, Lappy-pie... poo... {runs back and forth anxiously, making the Homsar walking noise} Just keep your pixels on. Strong Bad's got everything under control-alt-delete.
{Strong Bad picks up a ladder from behind the stand, and climbs up onto the roof.}
STRONG BAD: Who put you up here—Wha?!?
{The suspenseful music plays, and reveal the Lappy, with the broken Tandy and the shotgunned Compy. The Tandy is suspending a horseshoe magnet from a fishing rod above the Lappy's keyboard.}
STRONG BAD: It's my crappier and crappiest computers!
{Both old computers fizz and spark.}
STRONG BAD: Careful, guys, let's not do anything inappropriate with that magnet... I've got a lot of important text files on that 5 meg hard drive... Now just let the Lappy go, and we can all go out for hushpuppies. You guys still like hushpuppies, don't you?
{Both old computers fizz and spark a lot.}
STRONG BAD: Okay, fine, hushpuppies are out. For some reason I... I thought you guys liked hushpuppies.
{Both old computers keep fizzing and sparking. The Tandy also churns its floppy disk drive.}
STRONG BAD: Sorry, guys, we're getting nowhere. I don't speak extravagantly broken computer.
{The Paper comes down, reading "'Sup Strong Bad. I'll help with the translation."}
STRONG BAD: The Paper! You're just in time! Find out what they want!
{The Paper goes back up, and the Compy "talks" for a bit. The Paper comes back down with "They want to come out of retirement..."}
STRONG BAD: Retirement? They didn't retire, I threw them away. Ask them if they mean they want to come out of thrown-away-ment.
{The Paper comes down again, reading "They're not laughing. They each want to check one last email."}
STRONG BAD: Are they joking? Those guys couldn't check an email with the help of sixty horses dressed up as IT professionals!
{The Tandy lowers the magnet a little, and the Lappy's screen turns on, showing:}
Oh, Child!
It's the Teal Screen
of Near Death! (TSoND)
STRONG BAD: Okay, okay, okay! I'll do my best. If it'll save the orphanage... I mean, my Lappy, I'll do it. Now, let's check emails like it was the deuce double-aught dweice!
{Both old computers "talk".}
STRONG BAD: It just means 2002... I... thought it was slick... slick-rick... way to talk...
{Fade through black to Strong Bad with the Tandy at the email-checking desk. The old typing effect is heard. The Tandy sparks its screen throughout.}
STRONG BAD: {singing} Green lines, green, green lines. It's a Strong Bad Email again.
dearest strong bad
do you remember the email that you deleted
the hardest
{Strong Bad reads "sincerly" as written, and "josh oakland" as "josho kland". He also adds an extra pause between "dearest" and "strong".}
STRONG BAD: Well, let's just see here... Zero capitalization...
{The first letters of each of "dearest", "strong", "bad", "do", "sincerly", "josh" and "oakland" are all briefly highlighted}
STRONG BAD: Misspelling...
{The word "sincerly" is briefly highlighted}
STRONG BAD: Lack of punctuation...
{The blank spaces after "bad", "hardest", "sincerly" and "josh" are all briefly highlighted}
STRONG BAD: {with a hint of insincerity} Looks like a winner to me! {typing} Dearest Josho, I have some good news for you! I DO remember the email that I deleted the hardest. And I'm still remembering it right now!!! {stops typing} Homestar! Little help, please.
{Zooms out to reveal Homestar pouring a bottle of Mountain Dew into the hole in the side of the Tandy}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: I'm way ahead of ya, SB.
STRONG BAD: Then, we'll just add some of the King of Town's fizzy denture tablets.
{Strong Bad holds up a box of Oh No You Dent! Denture Tablets.}
THE KING OF TOWN: {offscreen} Thems is my after-dinner mints!
{Strong Bad tips several of the tablets into the hole.}
STRONG BAD: {heavy reverb} And now if you'd please turn in your hymnals, and join me in singing number 119, a-deleted.
{Strong Bad hits the keyboard, and the "DELETED!!" screen comes up, with a gothic font. Organ music plays.}
STRONG BAD & HOMESTAR RUNNER: {singing} Deleted!
{Strong Bad swings a pickaxe through the keyboard and the desk. The Tandy explodes, and gives off a bad graphics mushroom cloud.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {turns away, falls to his knees and closes his eyes} Aaah!
STRONG BAD: Goodbye, old girl. They'll always say you went out in a blaze of green rectangular glory.
{Homestar, with one eye still closed, starts pouring Mountain Dew on the carpet. Cut to a closeup of Strong Bad.}
STRONG BAD: All right! One down, one to go.
{Cut to a shot of the shotgunned Compy on the desk. The suspenseful music plays. The screen fades to black.}
{Strong Bad is in front of the Compy. Despite the hole, he manages to type "strongbad email.exe".}
STRONG BAD: {singing} There's a big ol' hole inside my email, makin' it hard to cheeeeck...
{He brings up the email. It is formatted around the hole.}
STRONG BAD: Oooh! Automatic hole formatting! {starts reading}
Dear Strong Bad,
I want to see you perform some amazing
feats of
Very ser- iously,
Luke S.
{Strong Bad says "Double Dear Strong Bad" in place of the first line, and after reading "wonder", he comments "You mean, more amazing than checking an email on this computer?!" In place of the name, he says "Luke South".}
STRONG BAD: {typing} Well, I am very serious too. Serious about the most incredible, tantalizing, pants-defying, mind-googling sights in the whole world!! {stops typing} Lalalalalalaaaa!
{Cut back to show the whole computer room. A boater hat falls on his head and a cane into his hand.}
STRONG BAD: Ladies and Luke, I give you...
{The Computer Room rises, as if it were a theater curtain, revealing a carnival tent.}
STRONG BAD: {as a sideshow caller} Strong Bad's Amazing Feats of Wonder! {Strong Bad appears in the foreground} Gawk and squawk as I walk and talk like an old-timey sideshow caller, and add "Lalalalalaa" to the end of everything I say lalalalalalaaa!
{Strong Bad ducks down. Cut to inside the tent.}
STRONG BAD: First, in our gallery of ocular oddities, is a contortionist... with a twist!
{He moves away, revealing a curtain painted with "MARZiPAN - SHE-TYPE! KA-RAZY?"}
STRONG BAD: Feast your Dust Bowl-ravaged eyes on {Curtain lifts, revealing Marzipan with her hair tied up.} Marzipan, the Human Woo-man {rolls the next "R"} Rrrrrotini!
{A logo for "The Human Woo-man Rotini" appears. Marzipan curls her neck like a spring. The audience makes amazed sounds.}
STRONG BAD: Behold! An ocean of pesto!
{Green liquid flies in from offscreen and lands on Marzipan.}
MARZIPAN: {angrily} That's not part of my act!
{Cut to The King of Town, with some of the green liquid dribbling down from his mustache.}
THE KING OF TOWN: I know! It's a part of mine lalalalalalalaaa!
{He sucks in the liquid. Cut back to Strong Bad.}
STRONG BAD: Now, direct your attention to the Pee Wee Stage...
{Again, Strong Bad moves aside. Now the curtain shows "THE CHEAT - AND HOW! PART ANVIL?"}
STRONG BAD: ...where the flea circus has left town, and the inmates are restless!
{The audience ooohs as the curtain is lifted, showing a manacled The Cheat.}
STRONG BAD: Gather strong at The Cheat's Flea Prison Riot!
{As the above words appear, a magnifying glass focuses on The Cheat and zooms in on a tiny prison in his fur, where a number of small black dots are rioting and squabbling. The prison has some flames coming out of the windows, and a siren is heard. Cut back to Strong Bad in front of a curtain reading "Strong Sad - DEE PRESS! DO U DARE?" with an elephant styled to look like Strong Sad.}
STRONG BAD: (perfunctorily) And don't forget Strong Sad's feet of wonder.
{The audience ahhhs as the curtain is moved up, revealing Strong Sad in a blue dress with a beard. A paper reading "stupid's stupid crap that I hate" appears for a moment. Strong Sad lifts the dress, revealing his feet, as the audience gasps.}
STRONG SAD: I call them "soolnds".
{Cut to Strong Bad.}
STRONG BAD: And lastly, so ghastly, the ate-thh wonder of the world!
{Cut to curtain showing "Strong Mad - ATE THH! NECK?"}
STRONG BAD: House-mouth!!!
{The curtain lifts, showing Strong Mad in a loincloth. A "HOUSE-MOUTH" logo appears. The audience gasps.}
STRONG MAD: DAAAAH!! {Opens his mouth very wide, taking up most of his body and creating the shape of a house. The audience gasps.}
STRONG BAD: {popping in from the side of the screen} This land-locked leviathan conveniently subsists only on outdated electronics!
{He ducks away as the Compy is thrown in Strong Mad's mouth. He closes his mouth. A second later, he jumps a bit as a sparking sound is heard. Strong Mad gulps it down.}
STRONG BAD: {popping in again, and throwing his hat and cane} We did it!!! Lalalalalalalaaaa!
{The scene again rises like a curtain, revealing the Computer Room. The Lappy is in its place at the desk.}
STRONG BAD: The Lappy! You're back... y! You and I have some unfinished business, little lady!
{Strong Bad sits down. Cut to the Lappy's screen.}
STRONG BAD: {typing; anywhere that a comma would be appropriate, a dull tapping sound is heard} There ya go Jake-ula. Now all the cliffhangers have been for reallysolved. Okay Lappy I hope your battery's charged {music starts} cuz I'm finally taking you out for those hush-puppies you always wanted!!!
{He picks up the Lappy and walks off. Fade to black. Cut to a silhouette of Strong Bad holding the Lappy and walking across the sunset. Ghostly images of the Tandy and Compy appear over his head. The music suddenly stops with a record scratch.}
FEMALE LAPPY 486: But Strong Bad, I'm hate hushpuppies!
STRONG BAD: Man, I coulda sworn one of you guys liked hushpuppies.
{The Paper comes down, reading "It was me. I like hushpuppies." The music starts again. It eventually stops again with a record scratch.}
FEMALE LAPPY 486: Can we please find my toe?
{Strong Bad stops walking and looks up toward the ghostly images, which speed away upwards.}
[edit] Easter Eggs
- Click on Strong Bad's diamond when he says he's got a lot of important text files on the Lappy's hard drive to see a selection of those files.
clncknmsfrmyslf.txt |
cldshplog.txt |
ltr2bkrythrftstr.txt |
- Click on the roof vent after the Teal Screen of Near Death appears to see a Dullard comic.
- {Dullard is at his computer, with the boss behind him}
- BOSSYFACE: {pointing to a horse-headed person behind him} THIS IS RANDY. TREAT HIM NICE NOW.
- {Randy pulls out a handful of hay}
- {Randy chews the hay}
- BOSSYFACE: {turns back to Dullard} YOU MAY BE ON TO SOMETHING.
- Click the electrical socket after the Tandy's explosion to replay the explosion animation.
- Click on the Compy's contrast dial when Strong Bad checks the second email to see some sparks fly.
- When Strong Bad says "Luke South", click on the Compy's exposed gear to see a southward traffic sign.
- At the end, before the old computers fly away, click their contrast knobs for the Bad Graphics Ghost and a dancing skeleton on the Tandy and Compy, respectively.
- After the spectral computers fly away, click on the Lappy to see the King of Town's feat of wonder.
- {A curtain is seen with a ham with the King of Town's head on it reading "The King of Town - ONE DER! MEAT MAN?"}
- STRONG BAD: {voiceover} He's half-man, half-cholesterol! Can I get a "ooh-ahh" for Clogdor!
- {The curtain lifts, revealing the King behind a counter with a frying pan on it. The Grabbo Arm is holding up a toothpick above the frying pan. "CLOGDOR!!" is written across the top of the screen.}
- AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Ewww! Euugh!
- {The King of Town burps, producing an oddly-colored bubble. As it floats toward the frying pan, the Grabbo Arm juts forward, popping the bubble and creating the innards of an egg, which falls into the frying pan. The audience gasps.}
- THE KING OF TOWN: If ya think my burps are impressive, wait'll you see my—
- STRONG BAD: {Cutting in in front of the scene} —seen enough of that one lalalalalalalaaaaa!
[edit] Fun Facts
[edit] Changes Between the Two-Part and One-Part Versions
This email was originally released as a two-parter, and was re-released a week later as a single email called "retirement (combined)". (On October 22, the email was renamed "retirement".) The following were added or changed from the original:
- The Lappy's comma key is now missing throughout the toon. Originally, the key was present in part A when the Compy and Tandy are holding the Lappy hostage but was missing in part B when Strong Bad gets it back.
- The Tandy's screen now intermittently flashes with static while Strong Bad is checking its email.
- Part A ended with the zoom-in on the Compy 386 (as the suspenseful music played). The Paper came down with a message that read, "To Be Continued Tomorrow!". Part B picked up with Strong Bad sitting at the Compy. When the two parts were combined, The Paper was removed, and a transition in and out of black now splices the two halves.
- Also removed were the "back" link at the end of part A and the "loading" screen at the beginning of part B. This is notable because even though the "back" link was on the Compy, it was written in the Lappy's font, and the "loading" screen on part B was written in the Compy's font.
- Clicking on the Compy's contrast dial creates some sparking effects.
- A gear in the Compy now turns as Strong Bad types.
- An extra scene featuring Strong Sad in Strong Bad's carnival tent was added.
- When Strong Bad attempts to type commas in his closing remarks, commas no longer appear, and instead, a dull tapping sound is heard.
- An Easter egg featuring the King of Town's act in Strong Bad's carnival tent was added.
[edit] Explanations
- The explosion following the addition of Mountain Dew and denture tablets to the Tandy 400 is due to the rapid release of carbon dioxide gas from both the carbonated water and the effervescent action of the sodium bicarbonate and citric acid in the tablets, not to be confused with the Diet Coke and Mentos phenomenon.
- Control-Alt-Delete is a computer keyboard command on IBM PC compatible systems that can be used to close programs or reboot the computer.
- A hushpuppy is a deep-fried ball of cornmeal commonly eaten in the southern United States, usually with fried fish.
- Putting a magnet too close to a computer can damage the data stored on magnetic storage, such as hard disks.
- Structures or people are called the Eighth Wonder of the World in order to liken their perceived greatness to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
- Leviathan is the name of a sea-monster mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible. The word "leviathan" is often used to refer to any large monster or creature.
- Pesto is an Italian sauce frequently served over pasta. While many variations exist, in its classic form it is made of basil, parsley, pignoli [peen-yole-ee] (pine nuts), extra virgin olive oil, and pecorino-romano cheese, and requires no cooking.
- Strong Sad is dressed as a bearded lady.
[edit] Trivia
- This is another email in which Strong Bad checks multiple emails.
- At 6:53, this was, for over fifteen years, the longest Strong Bad Email on the site, until parenting, released in 2022, beat it by a minute (over three minutes if counting its built-in Easter eggs).
- This toon beat the previous longest email, alternate universe, by nearly one minute.
- It was also the longest toon on the site overall until the release of I Killed Pom Pom, which, likewise, beat this toon by nearly a minute.
- All of the aforementioned toons have been significantly surpassed by Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 17.2.
- The portrait of Marshie's mother is hung in the same frame as the painting by the Deutsch Master in portrait.
- For the first email, the floppy disk container reads "mastertype". For the second, it reads "silpheed".
- This is the first Strong Bad Email to feature each of Strong Bad's first three computers.
- This is the first time soolnds are mentioned out loud to refer to Strong Sad's elephant-like feet.
[edit] Remarks
- When Strong Bad says that his "antidepressant" has run out, some of the bags lying around the couch are partially filled.
- In Marshie's Whodunnit? scene, every main character is visible silhouetted except for The Cheat, The Poopsmith, Homsar, and Strong Bad himself.
- Strong Bad says that the Lappy's hard drive holds five "megs". However, according to animal, the Lappy has a "2 MB Hard Drive!".
- During Strong Bad's confrontation with the Tandy and Compy, there are clickable areas on the Lappy's screen, but clicking on them has no effect. This is because the Tandy's contrast buttons are behind the Lappy, and they are disabled in this scene.
- The word "contrast" on Strong Bad's Tandy is in a different font than it was before the Tandy was thrown out. This change was also made for the redone Tandy-era emails in do over.
- If the Flash file is viewed during the Mountain Dew scene, there is an extra electrical outlet outside the black, complete with the Lappy's cord plugged in. It is also there when Strong Bad says "All right, one down, one to go!"
- The cord is also seen on the Flash file of the second part right before the feats of wonder tent appears.
- The three sounds that play on the Tandy when Strong Bad highlights portions of the email come from MacOS: "Purr", "Sosumi", and "Temple", respectively.
- This is the first time an email has been deleted in the Lappy era (even though it was not deleted on the Lappy itself).
- The Tandy and Compy were sold by Bubs to the King of Town (King of Townmail) and Homestar (Broken Compy Menu), respectively. Oddly, both denied kidnapping the Lappy in cliffhangers (Homestar) and Lappynapped! (King of Town).
- The hole in the Compy is smaller here than it was at the end of virus, making it possible to fit a token amount of legible text onto the screen.
- In the start of the second part, the Compy applies "automatic hole formatting" to the email, but when Strong Bad starts typing his reply, some of the written text does not appear on the Compy's screen.
- Strong Mad appears to have no tongue or tonsils.
- Apparently, the cog inside the Compy processes text; yet it was shown spinning while broken at the end of virus.
- The sounds of the fleas on The Cheat sound a lot like The King of Town and Strong Bad's voices sped up when they are saying "Lalalalalala".
- The Paper doesn't have a link to Strong Bad's email address.
- The viruses in the Compy, which affected the outside world in virus, do not return for this email. It seems the shotgun was effective in removing the viruses.
- The email checked with the Tandy uses the animation style that was used in emails prior to brianrietta, where Strong Bad's mouth moves as opposed to his head.
- The sound effect of the keyboard is also the same as that used in those emails.
- Despite the green monochrome features of the Tandy, Strong Bad highlights the spelling and grammatical mistakes in Josh's email in yellow.
- Neither the plug socket nor the Compy's cord appear during the Compy email.
- The Lappy's wall adapter is beige in this email, but it is black in isp.
- Despite supposedly having only a 5-minute (advertised in animal as half of ten minutes) battery life and weighing 42 pounds, Strong Bad is able to take the Lappy for hushpuppies, which would take much longer.
- The Compy displays text, even though the shotgunned hole reveals no electron gun, which would be necessary for a CRT monitor.
- During the Compy email, the part of wall inside the hole is somewhat brighter than the part outside the Compy area. This might be due to the fact that there is a terrible fade in the paint when a computer is not visible, as evidenced in animal.
- Based on the behavior, it appears that the comma key itself is missing (as opposed to simply the key cap missing).
- When the King of Town's bubble is popped and the egg lands on the pan, it appears to sizzle even though there is no visible source of heat.
[edit] Goofs
- When the camera zooms in on the box of the King of Town's fizzy denture tablets, the green lines on the Tandy aren't moving.
- Right after Strong Bad deletes the Tandy email, and is about to swing the pickaxe into the keyboard, for a split second, Homestar can be heard saying "deleted", but his mouth doesn't appear to move.
- There is no electrical outlet under the table while Strong Bad is using the Compy.
- While zoomed in on the Compy, Strong Bad's reflection appears over some of the cracks in the Compy's screen.
- For about two frames, around when Strong Bad swings the pickaxe into the keyboard, the green on the Tandy's screen is out of position.
- While the Tandy and Compy are holding the magnet over the Lappy, the Tandy's green lines aren't visible.
[edit] Inside References
- This email follows directly from cliffhangers, where Strong Bad's computer was kidnapped at the end of the email. The dramatic "cliffhanger resolution" music is reused from that email as well. Strong Bad's closing remarks are directed toward Jake, who sent the email featured in cliffhangers.
- Marshie saying "who you think done it" is a reference to an Easter egg in cliffhangers, in which Homestar says "You know who I think done it?"
- This is another appearance of index cards on the site.
- The phrase "Slink off to Bubs'" is a reference to the spamvertisement Easter egg at the end of unused emails, which stated, "Slink on over to Bubs' Concession Stand..."
- "Now, let's check emails like it was the deuce double-aught dweice!" most likely refers to the fact that in 2002 Strong Bad last checked an email with the Tandy and first checked an email with the Compy.
- "Number 119, a-deleted" may be a reference to Email #119 (animal) in which Strong Bad first got the Lappy. It could also mean the number of emails that have passed since the Tandy's previous role in checking an email in Email #40 (vacation).
- Two of the items on Strong Bad's Cloud Shape Spotting Log ("strong sad's ghost" and "strong sad's corpse") refer to Strong Sad's imagined death.
- Homestar pouring Mountain Dew into the Tandy is a reference to anything, in which he poured Mountain Dew onto the Compy.
- Strong Bad makes Homsar's walking noise and skitters around like him when he notices the Lappy's cord and is frantically pacing around.
- The Cheat was previously compared with an anvil in huttah!.
- The skeleton image on the Compy's computer is from Peasant's Quest.
- Marzipan's curtain contains another case of lowercase i's.
- The picture on Strong Mad's curtain resembles Strong Man. Interestingly, although the figure in the picture is wearing the Strong Man's outfit, Strong Mad's costume consists of only a loincloth.
- The word "soolnds", the name that Strong Sad has given his feet, was previously used in Strong Sad's Lament and the DVD commentary for replacement.
- The King of Town's stage name "Clogdor" is a play on "Trogdor" and is written in the same font as Trogdor's name on the official T-shirts.
- Strong Sad dressed as the bearded lady is another instance of cross-dressing.
- Strong Mad eats the Compy 386.
- The King of Town appears to have puked during the act with Marzipan.
[edit] Real-World References
- The way Strong Bad says "buck or nine", it sounds similar to the ska punk band Buck-O-Nine.
- When Strong Bad is on the couch, there is a brand of chips called "Flavored Triangles". This could be a reference to Doritos or other tortilla corn chips which are triangle-shaped.
- The winged buffalo references the Buffalo Wild Wings mascot.
- The Teal Screen of Near Death is a reference to the various colored Screens of death used by computer operating systems to indicate serious system errors. The Compy 386 has been seen to have its own Blue Screen of Death (the Flagrant System Error) on more than one occasion.
- Dabney Coleman is an actor most known for his role in the films Nine to Five and Tootsie.
- Slick Rick was a popular hip-hop artist of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
- "/got nothin'" in the text files is a reference to Fark.com, where people often end their posts with that remark.
- Homestar pouring Mountain Dew onto the carpet after the destruction of the Tandy may be a reference to the practice of pouring libations on the ground to honor the dead. In Strong Bad's case, it can also be used to honor those sent up the river.
- "If it'll save the orphanage..." may be a reference to The Blues Brothers, in which the titular brothers get their old band back together in order to save the orphanage in which they were raised, though the line, as Strong Bad says it, does not appear in the film.
- Strong Bad's contracted naming of files refers to names often given to files due to 8.3 naming restrictions present in older FAT filesystems, although his file names would be too long for these rules.
- "Just walk away, mother" is a reference to the movie Psycho. Also, the painting seen when Marshie delivers this line is drawn similarly to the caricature of Alfred Hitchcock seen at the start of his television program, Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
- The Dust Bowl was a series of dust storms caused by poor farming techniques that ravaged the central United States and Canada from 1934 to 1939. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced.
- The graphics for the Fluffy Puff Marshmallows My Lappy Got Stole! Sweepstakes resemble those used for the 1995 Simpsons episode Who Shot Mr. Burns? contest sponsored by 1-800-COLLECT. That contest also featured silhouettes of the main characters with big question marks over each one, while a voiceover told viewers where to send in their guesses of the guilty party's identity in order to win the grand prize (being animated into an upcoming episode).
- The "horses in IT" joke could be a reference to the British comedy series Little Britain, which contained a sketch set in a computer shop featuring a horse whisperer asking a horse how to fix a problem with installing Windows XP.
- Strong Bad saying "Gawk and squawk as I walk and talk" might be a reference to the song "Freakshow" by The Gothic Archies, originally released in September 2003 as an accompaniment to the Audiobook version of Lemony Snicket's The Carnivorous Carnival. The song begins "People gawk at the way you walk / You're a freakshow / People squawk 'bout the way you talk / You're a freakshow"
[edit] Fast Forward
- Strong Bad would pronounce Ls in a similar way in hygiene.
- There would be a second two-part toon in the Cheat Commandos episodes; Cheat Commandos: Two Part Episode: Part 1 and Part 2.
- In hremail 3184, the destruction of the two computers is featured, and Strong Sad says "Oh, child!"
- The Mountain Dew pouring act would later be reused in email thunder.
- The silhouetted Strong Bad and purple sky image would later be used as the loading screen for Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People.
[edit] DVD Version
- The DVD version features hidden creators' commentary. To access it, switch the DVD player's audio language selection while watching.
[edit] Commentary Transcript
(Commentary by: Mike Chapman, Strong Bad, Ryan Sterritt, Powered By The Cheat Strong Bad)
MIKE: All right.
STRONG BAD: Strap yourselves in, boys.
MIKE: This is a really long email, so we're gonna have to do it in shifts, all right?
STRONG BAD: Okay. I'll, I'll take sh...
MIKE: You take the first shift. Go, Strong Bad.
STRONG BAD: First!? Okay. Uhh, man. That's disgusting! {Ryan and Mike laugh} That's the nastiest thing I've ever seen. Although I would love to win one of those metal detectors. I always wanted to win one of those, from the video game shows.
RYAN: That was every kid's dream.
STRONG BAD: Yeah. A metal detector would make you rich. {pause} You think Marshie's got some issues...
MIKE: With his mom?
STRONG BAD: Yeah. Like, every time we see him, we—we see he has more issues than before. {pause} Uh... this was... this was great, you guys. I felt... uh, you know, it was a good way to wallow in your own sorrows.
MIKE: Did you really eat all this?
STRONG BAD: Yeah, empties. Dead soldiers, I call 'em. {Ryan and Mike laugh} {pause} So, I had to mix up my own batch to get all those flavors in one—in one chip.
MIKE: I've always thought they should have a mixed bag of, uh, chips. Doritos.
STRONG BAD: Yeah, a trail mix! A suicide!
MIKE: Exactly. A kamikaze.
STRONG BAD: {simultaneously} A chips suicide! Yeah. {pause} Um, so this, yeah, I was freaked out, you guys.
MIKE: I can tell by your dance right there.
STRONG BAD: Yeah, look at that. I don't do that very often. I'm usually pretty poised, I, like... uh, I got a swagger about me. {pause} So can magnets still really do damage to computers, and hard drives, guys?
MIKE: I hope not.
STRONG BAD: If I take a 5¼-inch disc and put a magnet on it, is it gonna erase the data? Like all of 'em, remember, they had those pictures that told you not to do it. There'd be, like, a sad disk that's like, "No! Don't do it, magnet!" And the magnet would be erasing all your files.
MIKE: So was this awkward, Strong Bad? Is it like hanging out with ex-girlfriend... your current girlfriend and your ex-girlfriend at the same time?
STRONG BAD: Absolutely. It was... it was weird.
MIKE: Like you were afraid one of the other computers was gonna say something?
RYAN: They'd all become friends.
MIKE: {laughing} Yeah.
STRONG BAD: Yeah. It was a good thing The Paper showed up 'cause it was gonna get—it was about to get weird, you know? Where it'd be like, "Oh, you remember that time Lappy, we went to a movie?" and then the Compy'd be like, "No that was ME. WE went to that movie." And I—"Oh, crap, I totally..." you know...
MIKE: Best just keep your mouth shut in that situation.
STRONG BAD: Yeah, yeah.
MIKE: Don't risk it.
{In the email, the Tandy lowers the magnet}
STRONG BAD: OH, CHILD! {Mike laughs} Um, so th—this was even worse. {stutters} You guys have no idea what it's like to work—have to work with broken computers. Especially one that has a big hole through it. {slight pause} Yeah, those guys don't know anything about my slang. I have a good slang.
MIKE: So is it, uh...
STRONG BAD: Whose shift is it now, guys? C'mon...
MIKE: Ryan, step up! Ryan, step up!
RYAN: All right. It's good seeing this can still, uh—this computer still works.
MIKE: Surprising.
STRONG BAD: I thought it was in the garbage.
MIKE: That was the last time we saw it, I think.
STRONG BAD: The King of Town tried to use it one time.
MIKE: Seems like the only thing that's really happened is that the, uh, text kinda flickers a little bit every once in a while now.
RYAN: Which isn't so bad.
STRONG BAD: It's better than Mike's computer was for a long time! {Mike and Ryan laugh}
MIKE: I used to have to stuff paper in the ram drive... the ram slot.
STRONG BAD: Oh, they totally sold out, these guys. To Mountain Dew.
MIKE: To Oh No You Dent! {laughs}
STRONG BAD: Oh NO You Dent! {slight pause} Now I turned on my auto reverb on my voice. I can project like the old Romans. {In the email, Strong Bad swings the pickaxe into the keyboard and the computer explodes.} Where did I put that pickaxe? I need that thing. That thing's awesome.
MIKE: You didn't even hit the deleted key with it.
STRONG BAD: Uh, you don't know where it is. You have to hold a couple of buttons down...
MIKE: Oh, it doesn't just have a—
STRONG BAD: {simultaneously} ...to make "Deleted" happen.
MIKE: Oh, okay.
STRONG BAD: Gee, Mike.
MIKE: Control alt... two?
STRONG BAD: Maybe. Control alt wherever I hit with the pickaxe. So this is the second half, right? These were released two days in a row!
MIKE: That's right.
RYAN: I like that the words... finish on the other side.
MIKE: Auto hole formatting.
STRONG BAD: Yeah. There's a lot of auto formatting that goes on in my universe.
MIKE: These computers are pretty smart for giant... giant gaping holes. {Ryan laughs}
STRONG BAD: That's true. {pause} I am a no-joke. I am very serious. Right? {In the email, the curtain opens to reveal the Amazing Feats of Wonder} So this, uh, this operation was pretty good. We made a lot of money...
MIKE: Oh, the Amazing Feats of Wonder?
STRONG BAD: {simultaneously} ...and two friends.
MIKE: Who'd you make friends with?
STRONG BAD: Um, Roman?
MIKE: {laughing} Roman?
STRONG BAD: There's a guy named Roman.
MIKE: Okay.
STRONG BAD: And Rink.
MIKE: Roman and Rink.
RYAN: Rink?
MIKE: Were they friends with each other?
STRONG BAD: Rink was a ferret. {Mike and Ryan laugh} It was Roman's ferret. {In the email, Marzipan twists her head} OHH! That, I, oh, that's disgusting. And that's even more disgusting.
MIKE: What happened there?
STRONG BAD: You—You don't wanna see the King of Town's act. {Mike laughs} He does some questionable things. It's like that sideshow that went on tour with the Lollapaloozas.
MIKE: Jim Rose?
RYAN: Jim Rose?
STRONG BAD: Jim Rome's sideshow—
MIKE: {laughing} Jim Rome.
STRONG BAD: —sports talk sideshow. Look at that. Who needs a flea circus? {slight pause} That's disgusting. This makes me question a lot of things, looking at that guy. And this is pretty disturbing, too, those leopard panties he's wearing.
MIKE: Yeah, I don't like Strong Mad without his, uh, singlet on.
STRONG BAD: Yeah. {pause} That's pretty amazing, he can do that with his mouth though. That's pretty cool. {In the email, the curtain opens up to reveal the Lappy} Say, whose shift? Mike's shift.
MIKE: {simultaneously} All right, my shift, my shift. All right. I'm gonna take it down, I'm the, doing the—what to they call the last leg?
STRONG BAD: The shift is on.
MIKE: The anchor. I'm the anchor. All right. Uh, so I hope your battery's charged, cuz I'm finally taking you out for those...
STRONG BAD: {simultaneously} Don't just read it!
MIKE: {rapidly} I can't think of anything else to say, I'm just going on adrenaline here.
STRONG BAD: {unintelligible}
MIKE: Look at that background. I started doing these kinda different backgrounds a few months ago, Strong Bad—
STRONG BAD: They're beautiful.
MIKE: —for the silhouette scenes, instead of just the usual yellow.
STRONG BAD: They boot-iful.
POWERED BY THE CHEAT STRONG BAD: They boot-iful. I'm gonna do my Strong Bad impression now, Strong Bad. What do you think of that?
STRONG BAD: Great, Mike.
POWERED BY THE CHEAT STRONG BAD: Now, listen to me, you little man. Wrestleman.
STRONG BAD: That sounded great, Mike.
POWERED BY THE CHEAT STRONG BAD: Thanks, man.
STRONG BAD: You're doing really good.
POWERED BY THE CHEAT STRONG BAD: I know.
STRONG BAD: Why don't you take over?
POWERED BY THE CHEAT STRONG BAD: I'll do it.
STRONG BAD: From now on.
POWERED BY THE CHEAT STRONG BAD: I can do it.
{In the email, the Lappy says, "...find my toe?"}
STRONG BAD: Mitosis.
[edit] Fun Facts
- The King of Town used the Tandy 400 in the April Fool's special King of Townmail.
- "I am-a very serious. I am no joke" is a reference to Roberto Benigni's character in the Jim Jarmusch film Down By Law.
- Strong Bad would later mention winning metal detectors in game shows in buried.
- The Jim Rose Circus is a sideshow that first became popular when it served as an opening act for Lollapalooza in 1993 and continues to tour today.
- Jim Rome is a nationally-syndicated sports radio talk show host, noted for his "smack"-talking style. Listener emails play a large part in Rome's show, and he disposes of emails he doesn't like by audibly balling up the printouts and throwing them out, an analog type of "deletion".
- Strong Bad's mention of the Romans projecting their voice is a reference to Roman amphitheaters, which would be constructed specifically to have a certain place that would greatly amplify sound for the other listeners.
- Mitosis is the process by which a cell separates the chromosomes in its nucleus into two identical sets in two separate nuclei. It is immediately followed by cytokinesis, which together form the M-Phase of the Cell Cycle.
[edit] External Links
- watch "retirement"
- watch "retirement" on the old Flash site
- view the Flash file for "retirement"
- forum thread re: "retirement"
- watch "retirement A" (mirror)
- view the Flash file for "retirement A" (mirror)
- watch "retirement B" (mirror)
- view the Flash file for "retirement B" (mirror)